MENTICULTURE 


OR 


THE  A-B-C  OF 
TRUE  LIVING 


n 


THE  ETHEL  CARR  PEACOCK 


Matris  amori  monumentum. 


| reading  room.  ; 

;>  j\ro.  ■ 


Cl.  170 Bk.^  ..'S.'A.M. 


THE  ETHEL  CARR  PEACOCK 
MEMORIAL  COLLECTION 

Matris  amori  monumentum 


TRINITY  COLLEGE  LIBRARY 

DURHAM,  N.  C. 

1903 


Gift  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Dred  Peacock 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/menticulture01flet 


MENTICULTURE 


\ 


v 


i$~zc>7 


MENTICULTURE 


OR 

THE  A-B-C  OF  TRUE 
LIVING 


HORACE  FLETCHER 

¥ 


CHICAGO 

A.  C.  McCLURG  AND  COMPANY 
i895 


Copyright,  1895 

By  HORACE  FLETCHER 


' / 7 6 

F IslZM 

P 

CONTENTS 


Theory  -------  13 

A Personal  Experience  - - 25 

A Discussion  - - - - - 47 

Plymouth  Church  Club  and  Armour 

Institute 59 

Diagnosis  and  Remedy  65 

A Prescription  - - - - - 73 

Scraps  of  Evidence  77 

First  Principles  Overlooked  - 113 

Slaves  or  Freemen — Which?  - 123 

Organization  ....  139 

Hope 145 


This  little  paper;  being  a Kindergarten 
presentation  of  a theory  of  menticulture 
through  the  elimination  of  the  germs  of  the 
evil  passions;  proven  to  be  of  practical 
benefit  by  a personal  experience  in  every-day 
life;  was  read  before  a gathering  of  Mental 
Scientists  at  New  Orleans.  At  the  request 
of  a number  of  my  friends  I have  had  it  put 
into  printed  form  for  them. 

I have  added  the  substance  of  a discussion 
which  followed  the  reading  of  the  paper , a 
diagnosis , a prescription , some  scraps  of  evi- 
dence from  influential  sources  which  have 
come  to  me,  some  suggestions  relative  to  the 
tendency  to  far-away  search  for  happiness, 
and  a ray  of  hope  that  it  can  be  found  near 
at  hand,  through  Emancipation. 


PREFACE 


Medical  science  had  struggled  for 
centuries  with  the  repression  and 
amelioration  of  physical  disease  before 
it  discovered  the  possibility  of  pre- 
vention by  killing  the  germ. 

Mental  science  pursued  the  same 
course  of  attempted  repression  in  this 
country  until  quite  recently  it  was 
found  that  mental  afflictions  have 
germs  also,  and  it  naturally  follows 
that  any  who  are  interested  in  the 
subject  should  try  to  discover,  not 
only  the  germs  themselves,  but  methods 
of  getting  rid  of  them. 

The  discovery  that  I have  made  is 
not  new,  as  Christ,  Buddha,  Aristotle, 
Omar  Khayyam  and  many  others, 
have  all  suggested  that  the  elimi- 

9 


IO 


PREFACE 


nation  of  the  evil  passions  is  entirely 
possible;  but  my  special  analysis  of 
them,  and  the  easy  method  of  de- 
feat that  I have  found  possible  to 
myself,  have  excited  such  interest, 
that  I have  been  induced  to  publish 
them,  without  attempting  to  follow 
the  subject  beyond  the  elementary 
stage. 

The  theory  that  I have  built  up  is 
based  on  a proper  estimation  of  the 
limitations  of  mental  weaknesses,  a 
discovery  that  they  have  roots,  and 
also  that  they  can  be  “ pulled  out 
by  the  roots”  and  disposed  of  just 
like  any  other  weeds  ; only  that  the 
task,  being  mental  and  not  physical, 
can  be  more  easily  performed. 

Literary  grace  has  been  sacrificed 
in  the  belief  that  redundant  reference 
to  the  germs  will  be  effective  in  bring- 
ing them  into  contempt. 


THEORY 


MENTICULTURE 


THEORY 


All  of  the  evil  passions  are  trace- 
able to  one  of  two  roots, 
y Anger  is  the  root  of  all  the  aggres- 
sive passions. 

Worry  is  the  root  of  all  the  cow- 
ardly passions. 

Envy,  spite,  revenge,  impatience, 
annoyance,  selfishness,  prejudice,  un- 
rest, and  the  like  are  all  phases  of 
anger. 

Jealousy,  fear,  the  belittling  of  self, 
the  blues,  and  all  the  introspective 
forms  of  depression  are  the  children  of 
worry. 

Anger  and  worry  are  the  most  un- 
profitable conditions  known  to  man. 
While  they  are  in  possession  of  the 
mind,  both  mental  and  physical  growth 
are  suspended. 


Anger  and 
Worry  are 
Germs 


13 


14  MENTICULTURE  ; OR,  THE 


Anger  and 
Worry  are 
Thieves 


Anger  and  worry  are  thieves  that 
steal  precious  time  and  energy  from 
life. 

Anger  is  a highway  robber  and 
worry  is  a sneak  thief. 

Anger  and  worry  are  the  most 
potent  forms  of  self-abuse,  for  the 
reason  that  in  many  cases  anger  is 
the  result  of  misunderstanding,  and 
in  most  cases  worry’s  prophecies  never 
come  true;  or,  if  they  do,  the  fulfil- 
ment is  generally  caused  by  the  worry 
itself. 

Anger  and  worry  do  not  stimulate 
to  any  good  end. 

Anger  and  worry  not  only  dwarf 
and  depress,  but  sometimes  kill. 

Anger  and  worry  are  bad  habits  of 
the  mind  and  not  necessary  ingredients. 

Anger  and  worry  are  no  more 
necessary  than  other  passions  civilized 
man  has  learned  to  control,  and  it  is 
only  needful  to  realize  that  they  are 
unnecessary  in  order  to  make  it  impos- 
sible to  feel,  much  less  to  show  them. 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING 


15 


Anger  and  worry  cannot  be  elim-  Ant,;er  and 
inated  through  process  of  repression  yyorry  are 
any  more  than  a weed  can  be  killed  by  parasites 
cutting  down  the  stalk,  or  a cancer 
can  be  cured  from  the  surface,  or  the 
drinking  habit  can  be  gotten  rid  of  by 
“tapering  off.”  Germ  eradication  is 
not  only  the  easiest , but  the  only  sure 
cure  for  all  physical  diseases  and  men- 
tal handicaps. 

The  dispossession  of  anger  and 
worry  does  not  cause  indifference  or 
encourage  indolence. 

The  natural  tendency  of  the  eman- 
cipated mind  is  towards  growth,  both 
intellectual  and  spiritual,  just  as  the 
tendency  of  plant  life  is  towards  vig- 
orous growth  and  perfect  blossoming, 
if  it  is  kept  free  from  the  gnawings 
of  cankerous  worms. 

Anger  and  worry  are  as  much  para- 
sites as  are  the  cankerous  worms  that 
attack  plants.  The  intelligent  horti- 
culturist knows  that  the  worms  are 
parasites,  picks  them  off  his  plant, 


16  MENTICULTURE  ; OR,  THE 


Worry- 

Causes 

Dissipation 


and  throws  them  away  too  far  to  re- 
turn. The  intelligent  menticulturist 
of  the  future  will  treat  anger  and  worry 
in  the  same  intelligent  manner. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  engage  in 
battle  the  small  army  of  lesser  passions 
if  you  concentrate  your  efforts  against 
anger  and  worry,  for  they  are  all  chil- 
dren of  these  parents.  Oppose  them 
with  a bold  front  ; make  one  heroic 
stand  against  them  and  they  and  all  of 
their  children  will  fly.  Disown  them 
once  and  the  ability  to  re-adopt  them 
will  have  disappeared  with  them. 

Anger  and  worry,  especially  worry, 
are  the  cause  of  most  of  the  drunken- 
ness and  other  dissipations  which  are 
the  curses  of  the  age.  Excuse  for  them 
or  temptation  to  them  is  found  in  the 
desire  to  smother  the  depression  which 
they  themselves  cause. 

Anger  and  worry  are  creations  of 
the  mind,  and  can  be  dispelled  by  the 
same  power  that  gave  them  birth. 

Anger  and  worry  are  caused  by 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING 


1 7 


phantoms  that  we  create  within  our- 
selves and  whose  only  strength  is 
that  with  which  we  endow  them. 

Anger  and  worry  are  like  echos  ; 
they  do  not  exist  until  we  call  for 
them,  and  the  louder  we  call,  the 
louder  is  their  response.  We  can 
never  drown  them ; yet,  if  let  alone, 
they  drown  themselves. 

Fear  is  possibly  the  truer  name  for 
the  cowardly  root-passion  than  worry  ; 
but  as  they  are  synonymous,  and  as 
anger  and  worry  are  more  frequently 
used  together,  and  worry  has  a less 
formidable  sound,  I have  chosen  to 
present  it  for  attack  under  that  title. 

While  the  evil  passions  align  them- 
selves into  two  classes,  as  the  offshoots 
of  Anger  and  Worry;  they  are,  in  fact, 
all  growths  from  one  root.  Worry  (or 
fear)  is  the  male  principle,  as  it  were, 
without  which,  all  the  others  wither 
and  die.  For  instance;  if  we  do  not 
worry,  we  do  not  fear ; and  if  we 
do  not  fear  aggression,  or  insult,  or 


Anger  and 
Worry  are 
Phantoms 


1 8 MENTICULTURE  ; OR,  THE 


Emancipa- 

tion 

Disarms 


slight,  we  do  not  become  angry.  We 
quarrel  most  frequently  with  what  we 
fear  is  thought  or  intended  by  our 
adversary,  and  least  frequently  with 
what  he  actually  does  or  thinks.  On 
the  other  hand  our  adversary  endows 
us  with  intentions  which  he  himself 
creates,  and  each  puts  his  own  fuel 
on  the  fire,  to  increase  the  heat  of  the 
controversy. 

In  Emancipation  there  is  no  fear, 
(or  worry)  and  consequently  no  fuel 
for  discord. 

Emancipation  is  a disarmament 
which  disarms  others,  but  adds  strength 
to  itself. 

To  the  Emancipated  every  mo- 
ment is  a delight,  or  a moment  of 
calm,  during  which  he  is  susceptible 
only  to  good  impressions,  and  the  best 
interpretation  of  everything,  no  matter 
what  the  external  conditions.  Even  in 
cases  of  sickness,  the  tendency  of  the 
emancipated  mind  is  so  inclined  to 
gratitude  for  the  limitations  of  the 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING 


19 


calamity,  that  it  has  little  if  any  room 
left  for  regret.  Its  thankful  apprecia- 
tion of  a half  loaf  of  blessings,  leaves 
no  place  for  disappointment  that  it  is 
not  a whole  one,  and  it  certainly  has 
no  desire  to  question  the  wisdom  of 
the  process  of  evolution  to  which  it  is 
related. 

To  question  or  to  regret  the  inevita- 
ble seems  to  the  emancipated  mind  the 
greatest  folly  imaginable.  It  certainly 
is  as  foolish  as  barking  at  the  moon. 

“ Sweet  sorrow  ” must  not  be  classed 
with  the  depressing  passions.  It  is  the 
tenderest  expression  of  love.  If  tears 
of  love  or  of  sympathy  spring  to  the 
eyes,  do  not  repress  them  ; do  not  be 
ashamed  of  them  ; they  are  like  dew 
from  Heaven  and  promote  the  growth 
of  the  soul. 

Neither  must  friendly  rivalry,  nor 
ambition  to  excel,  be  classed  as  ag- 
gressions; as  they  are  phases  of  growth. 

The  disposition  of  the  Emancipated 
is  to  switch  the  current  of  the  Divine 


“ Sweet 
Sorrow  ” 


20  MENTICULTURE ; OR,  THE 


Blesses 

or 

Curses 


Spark  (which  is  the  energy  of  man) 
on  to  wires  that  connect  with  motors 
belted  to  good  acts,  and  good  thoughts, 
and  worthy  appreciation,  and  to  cut  out 
the  circuits  of  worry  and  anger  and  their 
branch  lines  entirely,  leaving  them  to 
rust  and  decay  through  disuse.  It  is  a 
matter  of  voluntary  selection.  The 
same  effort  of  thought  can  be  made 
to  bless  or  to  curse  ; can  stimulate  to 
good  or  stimulate  to  bad  ; can  propel 
or  retard  ; can  aid  or  obstruct  ; can 
nourish  or  kill. 

Nature  uses  the  same  atoms  to  per- 
form many  services  of  widely  differing 
purpose.  Where  she  is  inanimate  the 
blind  and  dumb  law  of  the  "survival 
of  the  fittest”  rules  supreme.  In  her 
lowest  forms  of  life  this  law  begins  to 
be  modified  by  selection,  and  protection 
from  without.  In  the  higher  forms  of 
animal  life  memory,  and  selection,  and 
division  of  labor,  and  provision,  and 
gratitude,  show  a degree  of  develop- 
ment that  is  beautiful  indeed  ; but  it 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING 


21 


is  left  to  man  to  perfect  this  develop- 
ment within  himself.  To  him  is  given 
the  power,  through  cultivation,  to  pro- 
mote, without  limit,  growth  towards 
Perfection,  which  is  the  evidence  of 
Divinity  in  him. 

Soft  mist,  down-falling,  from  its  cloud  domain, 

Bathes  all  the  thirsty  land  with  gentle  rain  ; 

Again,  to  Heaven  ascends,  by  sunbeams  wooed, 

Then  plunges  back  to  earth  in  torrent  mood. 

As  gentle  rain  it  swells  the  softening  seed  ; 

In  torrent  force,  it  wrecks  with  demon  greed  ; 

Now,  like  the  radiance  of  a loving  heart ; 

Now,  like  the  scorching  of  a lightning  dart. 

The  self-same  atom,  hidden  in  a tear. 

May  shine  with  love,  or  ’note  a potent  fear  ; 

When  bound  to  others  form  the  flintiest  stone  ; 

Or,  floating  freely,  bear  the  subtlest  tone. 

Thoughts  are  like  atoms,  fashioned  by  the  will ; 

Each  has  a mission,  charged  with  good  or  ill ; 

Sometimes  to  bless  ; anon  to  desolate  ; 

Love’s  messenger;  or  harbinger  of  hate. 

In  Nature’s  hands,  one  atom  plays  two  parts, 

As  may  be  needed  in  her  several  arts  ; 

In  man  alone,  should  love  forever  shine  ; 

Displacing  hate  ; proclaiming  man  Divine. 

Love,  and  Appreciation,  and  Grati- 
tude, — the  ever-present  and  ever- 


Perfection 

is 

Divinity 


22 


MENTICULTURE 


Emancipa- 
tion not 
Pharisee- 
ism 


faithful  handmaids  of  Emancipation, — 
are  the  natural  and  only  conditions 
favorable  to  growth  ; they  are  the  less 
assertive  but  stronger  attributes  which 
are  always  waiting  to  occupy  the  places 
left  vacant  by  anger  and  worry,  and 
to  fill  the  “void  which  Nature  abhors.” 
Born  of  them  is  that  other  Divine  at- 
tribute called  Help  or  Charity,  and 
together  they  stimulate  to  good  action 
and  good  thought,  and  lift  into  life 
that  plant  of  the  soul,  the  Divine 
Responsibility  of  each  member  of  the 
human  family. 

Anger  and  worry  are  the  rankest 
forms  of  Egotism. 

Emancipation  is  the  reverse  of 
Phariseeism.  Phariseeism  is  self-suffi- 
ciency ; while  Emancipation  shows  its 
desire  for  growth,  through  the  prepara- 
tion of  its  mental  and  spiritual  entity 
for  unimpaired  growth,  by  clearing  it 
of  the  weeds  of  egotism. 


A PERSONAL  EXPERIENCE 


A PERSONAL  EXPERIENCE 


It  was  my  privilege  one  evening  to 
be  with  Prof.  Fenollosa  in  his  Japan- 
esque apartment  in  Boston.  Almost 
every  article  in  view  was  the  product  of 
some  Japanese  artist  who  had  been  the 
friend  of  Prof.  Fenollosa  in  Japan. 
The  odor  of  incense  added  perceptibly 
to  the  calming  influence  of  the  envir- 
onment. 

Many  years  ago  we  had  met  in  far- 
off  Japan  amid  similar  surroundings, 
and  had  discussed  theories  of  true 
living  that  had  been  a source  of  great 
pleasure  to  me,  and  whose  influence 
had  been  with  me  to  many  countries 
and  climes,  helping  me  to  enjoy  more 
fully  than  I otherwise  could,  the  beau- 
ties of  nature,  and  of  art,  and  of  life. 

We  were  exchanging  the  experi- 
ences of  the  intervening  years,  and  I 
became  acutely  interested  in  his  ac- 
25 


Ernest 

Francisco 

Fenollosa 


26  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


We  had 
met  in 
Japan. 


count  of  the  wonderful  degree  of  cult- 
ure and  self-control  attained  by  some 
of  his  Japanese  friends  through  the 
practice  of  the  Buddhist  discipline. 

It  was  all  so  interesting  and  beauti- 
ful, that  under  the  spell  of  the  recital 
and  the  surroundings,  I longed  to  taste 
some  of  the  sweets  of  the  calm  he  pic- 
tured, and  begged  him  to  tell  me  the 
process  of  the  discipline,  so  that  per- 
chance I might  follow  it  and  reap  some 
of  the  benefits. 

The  philosopher  saw  that  I was 
serious  in  my  desire,  and  his  face  lit 
up  with  approval  as  he  said,  “ It  is  not 
easy  to  communicate  at  a sitting  what 
took  me  years  of  study  to  learn,  but  I 
can  at  least  put  you  in  the  way  of  a 
start.  I can  tell  you  where  to  begin  to 
grow.  You  must  first  get  rid  of  anger 
and  worry y “But,”  said  I,  “is  that 
possible?”  “Yes,”  replied  he,  “it  is 
possible  to  the  Japanese,  and  ought  to 
be  possible  to  us. 

I was  startled  at  the  suggestion  of 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  27 

the  possibility  of  the  entire  repression  Qet  ^ Qf 

of  anger  and  worry.  I knew  that  their  Anger  and 

repression  was  counselled  by  Chris-  Worry 

tianity  and  Buddhism,  and  presumably 

by  all  codes  of  religion  and  ethics;  but 

I had  never  considered  getting  rid  of 

them  as  a human  possibility,  except 

under  conditions  of  health  and  wealth 

and  ease,  to  which  few,  if  any,  ever 

attain. 

On  my  walk  back  to  the  Parker 
House,  a distance  of  fully  two  miles,  I 
could  not  think  of  anything  else  but 
the  words,  “get  rid"  “ get  rid;"  and 
the  idea  must  have  continued  to  pos- 
sess me  during  my  sleeping  hours,  for 
the  first  consciousness  in  the  morning 
brought  back  the  same  thought,  with 
the  revelation  of  a discovery,  which 
framed  itself  into  the  reasoning, 

“ If  it  is  possible  to  get  rid  of  anger 
and  worry,  why  is  it  necessary  to  have 
them  at  all  ?”  I felt  the  strength  of 
the  argument  and  at  once  accepted  the 
reasoning.  The  baby  had  discovered 


28  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Anger  and 
Worry 
Instantly 
Removed 


that  it  could  walk.  It  would  scorn  to 
creep  any  longer. 

From  the  instant  I realized  that 
these  cancer  spots  of  worry  and  anger 
were  removable,  they  left  me.  With 
the  discovery  of  their  weakness  they 
were  exorcised.  From  that  time  life 
has  had  an  entirely  changed  aspect. 

Although  from  that  moment  the 
possibility  and  desirability  of  freedom 
from  the  depressing  passions  has  been 
a reality  to  me,  it  took  me  some  months 
to  feel  absolute  security  in  my  new 
position;  but,  as  the  usual  occasions  for 
worry  and  anger  have  presented  them- 
selves over  and  over  again,  and  I 
have  been  unable  to  feel  them  in  the 
slightest  degree,  I no  longer  dread  or 
guard  against  them,  and  I am  amazed 
at  my  increased  energy  and  vigor  of 
mind; — at  my  strength  to  meet  situa- 
tions of  all  kinds,  and  at  my  disposition 
to  love  and  appreciate  everything. 

I have  had  occasion  to  travel  more 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING 


29 


than  ten  thousand  miles  by  rail  since 
that  morning;  North,  South,  East  and 
West,  with  the  varying  comforts  and 
discomforts,  as  they  used  to  be.  The 
same  Pullman  porter,  conductor,  hotel 
waiter,  peddler,  book-agent,  cabman, 
and  others,  who  were  formerly  a source 
of  annoyance  and  irritation  have  been 
met,  but  I am  not  conscious  of  a single 
incivility.  All  at  once  the  whole 
world  has  turned  good  to  me.  I am 
sure  the  change  is  not  so  much  in  the 
world  as  in  me.  I have  become,  as  it 
were,  sensitive  only  to  the  rays  of 
good,  as  some  photographic  films  of 
recent  invention  are  sensitive  only  to 
certain  single  colored  rays  of  light. 

If  we  are  wise  we  never  leave 
school.  When  the  academy  and  the 
college  have  put  us  through  their  cur- 
riculum, we  have  still  before  us  the 
example  of  Nature,  and  the  walks  of 
Science,  and  Art,  and  Brotherhood,  in 
which  to  search  for  suggestions  to  be 


Wonderful 

Photo- 

graphic 

Films 


30  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Sensitive 
only  to 
Good 


applied  in  menticulture.  May  we  not 
learn  a lesson  from  the  newly  discov- 
ered film  ? 

Should  not  the  chemical  condition  of 
selection  be  more  difficult  than  a similar 
voluntary  mental  accomplishment?  In 
comparison  with  a similar  process  in 
physics  the  more  pliable  material  of 
the  mind  ought  to  be  fashioned  with 
greater  ease. 

I could  recount  many  experiences 
which  prove  a brand  new  condition  of 
mind,  but  one  more  will  be  sufficient. 
Without  the  slightest  feeling  of  annoy- 
ance or  impatience  I have  seen  a train 
that  I had  planned  to  take  with  a good 
deal  of  interested  and  pleasurable  an- 
ticipation, move  out  of  a station  with- 
out me,  because  my  baggage  did  not 
arrive.  The  porter  from  the  hotel 
came  running  and  panting  into  the 
station  just  as  the  train  pulled  out  of 
sight.  When  he  saw  me  he  looked  as 
if  he  feared  a scolding,  and  began  to  tell 
of  being  blocked  in  a crowded  street 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING 


31 


and  unable  to  get  out.  When  he  had 
finished,  I said  to  him,  “ It  doesn’t 
matter  at  all,  you  couldn’t  help  it,  so 
we  will  try  it  again  to-morrow.  Here 
is  your  fee,  I am  sorry  you  had  all 
this  trouble  in  earning  it.”  The 
look  of  surprise  that  came  over  his 
face  was  so  filled  with  pleasure  that  I 
was  repaid  on  the  spot  for  the  delay  in 
my  departure.  Next  day  he  would 
not  accept  a cent  for  the  service,  and 
he  and  I are  friends  for  life.  The 
sequence  of  this  incident  has  no  bear- 
ing on  its  value,  but  it  has  a signifi- 
cance. Had  I taken  the  train  I 
missed,  I would  have  been  caught  in  a 
wreck  in  which  two  persons  were 
killed  and  several  wounded,  while  my 
stay  over  in  Cleveland  proved  to  be 
both  pleasant  and  profitable. 

During  the  first  weeks  of  my  expe- 
rience I was  on  guard  only  against 
worry  and  anger  ; but,  in  the  mean- 
time, having  noticed  the  absence  of 
the  other  depressing  and  dwarfing 


A 

Fortunate 

Disap- 

pointment 


32  MENTICULTURE  ; OR,  THE 


The 

Religions 


passions,  I began  to  trace  a relation- 
ship, until  I was  convinced  that  they 
are  all  growths  from  the  two  roots  I 
have  specified. 

I have  felt  the  freedom  now  for  so 
long  a time  that  I am  sure  of  my  rela- 
tions toward  it;  and  I could  no  more 
harbor  any  of  the  depressing  and 
thieving  influences  that  once  I nursed 
as  a heritage  of  humanity  than  a fop 
would  voluntarily  wallow  in  a filthy 
gutter:  and  the  strength  of  the  position 
is  reinforced  by  the  experience  of 
others. 

There  is  no  doubt  in  my  mind  that 
pure  Christianity,  and  pure  Buddhism, 
and  the  Mental  Sciences,  and  all  Reli- 
gions, fundamentally  teach  what  has 
been  a discovery  to  me;  but  none  of 
them  have  presented  it  in  the  light  of 
a simple  and  easy  process  of  absolute 
elimination.  All  of  the  religions 
seemed  to  me  to  hinge  principally  on 
some  other  life,  with  the  usual  features 
of  punishment  and  reward,  and  with 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  33 


incidental  satisfaction  or  fear  in  this 
life.  But  as  life  reveals  itself  to  me  in 
my  present  condition  of  mind,  this 
world,  these  fellow  men,  the  blush 
of  Spring,  the  blossom  of  Summer, 
the  flame  of  Autumn,  the  sparkle 
of  Winter,  and  the  violet-softened 
refulgence  of  every  waking  moment 
yield  a never  failing  succession  of 
delights. 

At  one  time  I wondered  if  elimina- 
tion of  the  passions  would  not  lead  to 
indifference  and  sloth.  In  my  experi- 
ence the  contrary  is  the  result.  I feel 
such  an  increased  desire  to  do  some- 
thing useful  that  it  seems  as  if  I were 
a boy  again  and  the  energy  for  play 
had  returned.  I could  fight  as  readily 
as,  (and  better)  than  ever,  if  there  were 
occasion  for  it.  It  does  not  make  one 
a coward.  It  can’t,  since  fear  is  one  of 
the  things  eliminated. 

That  fear  is  gotten  rid  of  with 
worry  is  proven  in  many  ways.  I no- 
tice the  absence  of  timidity  in  the 


Fear 

Eliminated 


34  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Surprise 

Modified 


presence  of  any  audience  I am  called 
on  to  face,  whereas  I had  never  before 
conquered  a tendency  to  partial  paraly- 
sis on  such  occasions.  Timidity  re- 
sulting from  a shock  has  been  cured 
also.  When  I was  a boy  I was 
standing  under  a tree  which  was 
struck  by  lightning  and  received  a 
shock,  from  the  effects  of  which  I 
never  knew  exemption  until  I had 
dissolved  partnership  with  worry. 
Since  then  lightning,  and  thunder,  and 
storm  clouds,  with  wind-swept  torrents 
of  rain  have  been  encountered  under 
conditions  which  formerly  would  have 
caused  great  depression  and  discom- 
fort, without  experiencing  a trace  of 
either.  Surprise  is  also  greatly  modi- 
fied, and  one  is  less  liable  to  become 
startled  by  unexpected  sights  or  noises. 
Temperaments  may  differ,  but  Eman- 
cipation strengthens  all. 

It  has  been  suggested  to  me,  in 
argument,  that  in  Nature  there  is  sun- 
shine and  shadow,  and  that  every 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  35 


height  must  have  a corresponding  de- 
pression, and  that  immunity  from  the 
black  or  shadowy  passions  is  an  un- 
natural condition.  This  is  not  true. 
In  the  process  of  growth  and  evolution, 
conditions  that  once  were  natural,  are 
changed  to  other  conditions  equally 
natural.  Weeds  are  pulled  up  by  the 
roots  to  clear  the  fields  for  the  grow- 
ing grain.  Why  should  not  mental 
weeds  be  pulled  up  by  the  roots  also, 
and  the  mind  cleared  for  growth  ? 

My  experience  teaches  me  that  the 
natural  evolution  of  the  emancipated 
mind  is  dominant  calm,  varied  by  sea- 
sons of  exaltation,  but  never  of  depres- 
sion. It  is  a healthful  succession  of 
energy  and  rest,  all  blessed  with  loving 
appreciation,  which  finds  expression 
in  ever-present  gratitude. 

One  morning  recently  I heard  my- 
self audibly  thank  the  clock  for  strik- 
ing the  time  for  me,  and  each  awaken- 
ing is  as  if  on  a much  desired  holiday, 
no  matter  what  the  conditions  of  the 


I thanked 
the  clock 


36  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Heaven 

Here 


weather  or  the  comforts  of  life  at 
hand. 

Contentment  and  happiness  and 
gratitude  and  Heaven  are  generally  ac- 
cepted as  synonymous  terms; but  Eman- 
cipation embraces  them  all,  and  in  it 
only  can  they  all  be  found. 

As  far  as  I am  individually  con- 
cerned I am  not  bothering  myself  at  pres- 
ent as  to  what  the  result  of  this  emanci- 
pated condition  may  be.  I have  no  doubt 
that  the  perfect  health  aimed  at  by 
Christian  Science  may  be  one  of  the 
possibilities,  for  I note  a marked  im- 
provement in  the  way  my  stomach 
does  its  duty  in  assimilating  the  food 
I give  it  to  handle,  and  I am  sure 
it  works  better  to  the  sound  of  a 
song  than  under  the  friction  of  a 
frown.  Neither  am  I wasting  any 
of  this  precious  time  formulating  an 
idea  of  a future  existence  or  a future 
Heaven.  The  Heaven  that  I have 
found  within  myself  is  as  attractive  as 
any  that  has  been  promised  or  that  I 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  37 


can  imagine;  and  I am  willing  to  let 
the  growth  lead  where  it  will,  as  long 
as  anger  and  worry  and  their  brood 
have  no  part  in  misguiding  it;  but  I 
feel  the  value  of  Mental  Emancipation 
to  be  so  great  that  I long  to  spread  the 
news  of  the  discovery  of  an  easy  and 
immediate  means  of  attaining  it. 

The  practical  benefit  of  the  eman- 
cipated mind  to  the  individual,  and  of 
the  emancipated  individual  to  the  com- 
munity, can  not  be  over-estimated. 
In  every  walk  in  life  Emancipation  is 
invaluable  to  the  worker,  and  the 
most  potent  aid  to  success.  The 
emancipated  peanut  vender  will  have 
more  customers  than  his  worm- 
eaten  neighbor.  The  emancipated 
merchant  will  find  that  trade  will  pass 
the  door  of  his  calamity-howling  rival 
and  come  to  him.  The  emancipated 
writer  will  find  writing  an  easy  and 
pleasant  task  as  compared  with  that  of 
his  moody  confrere,  and  that  if  he  has 
occasion  to  dip  his  pen  in  vinegar  he 


Practical 

Benefits 


38  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Every- 
thing to 
Woman 


can  wield  it  better  under  the  influence 
of  judicial  calm  than  he  can  between 
the  gulps  of  rebellious  indigestion.  To 
woman  Emancipation  means  every- 
thing. Any  other  condition  to  her  is 
like  an  ill  fitting  garment,  and  every 
lapse  from  it  is  like  adding  a blotch 
to  her  complexion  which  succeeding 
smiles  can  never  entirely  efface. 
Each  expression  of  a shadowy  passion 
leaves  a scar.  The  Emancipation  of 
woman  would  mean  the  Emancipation 
of  the  race.  The  adoption  of  the 
germ  cure  will  be  woman’s  means 
to  that  end,  and  Emancipation  will  be 
her  Heaven  and  man’s  Heaven  at  the 
same  time. 

The  influence  of  emancipated  indi- 
viduals in  a community  could  be 
made  so  great  that  if  there  were  only 
one  in  ten,  and  they  should  organize 
in  clubs  for  the  purpose,  they  would 
attract  or  rule  the  rest  for  good, 
and  something  better  than  the  social 
Utopia  pictured  by  Edward  Bellamy  in 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  39 


“Looking  Backward  ” would  follow  as 
a natural  sequence,  and  save  us  from  the 
threatened  battle  between  capital  and 
labor,  which  otherwise  seems  inevita- 
ble. The  horrors  of  such  a conflict 
cannot  be  imagined;  and,  unless  the 
germ  cure  is  sought  to  avert  it,  it  is 
sure  to  come. 

The  germ  cure  of  the  evil  passions 
in  the  individual,  followed  by  the  germ 
cure  of  social  clumsiness  in  the  body 
politic,  form  the  only  hope  of  Emanci- 
pation from  the  evils  which  beset  the 
social  structure.  For  these  there  is  no 
real  necessity.  There  is  already  such  a 
surplus  of  mechanical  energy,  such  a 
surplus  of  creature  comforts,  and  such  a 
surplus  of  luxuries  on  our  planet,  that 
a moderately  sensible  distribution 
of  them,  would  render  every  inhab- 
itant comfortable  and  happy.  Among 
the  Emancipated  the  desire  to  make 
a generous  distribution  of  these  sur- 
plus stores  would  be  as  natural  as 
is  the  habit  of  recognizing  “the  rule  of 


Emanci- 
pation 
Cures 
All  Ills 


40  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Thirty 
years  of 
Travel 


the  road  ” among  us  all  to-day.  So 
also,  the  vast  amount  of  surplus  energy 
born  of  Emancipation  would  find  a nat- 
ural outlet  in  the  arts. 

In  suggesting  the  possibility  of  a 
Social  Paradise  or  Community  Heaven, 
it  is  presupposed  that  education  along 
the  lines  of  both  intellectual  and  man- 
ual training  will  have  become  universal, 
and  that  every  one  shall  render  service 
to  his  fellows  according  to  his  strength; 
also  that  idleness,  when  one  should 
work,  and  deception  in  trade,  will  have 
come  to  be  classed  as  crimes,  and  not 
as  evidences  of  “ shrewdness.” 

It  has  been  my  good  fortune  to 
travel  to  and  fro  over  the  earth’s  sur- 
face for  thirty  years,  years  of  exper- 
ience passed  among  the  people  of 
many  different  nations.  I have  made 
quick  comparisons  of  the  habits 
and  customs  of  them  all;  and  I 
have  observed  how  easily  some  do 
things  that  others  perform  clumsily. 
The  standard  measure  of  my  com- 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING 


41 


parison  has  always  been  Japan.  I 
could  not  help  observing  there  less 
crime,  better  appreciation  of  art  and 
nature,  more  physical  dexterity  and 
skill,  fewer  notes  out  of  harmony,  and 
more  general  happiness,  gentleness, 
and  consideration  for  fellows  and  ani- 
mals; less  (almost  no)  religious  or 
sectional  prejudice ; a universal  patri- 
otism and  respect  for  authority  (as 
good  children  are  respectful  of  the 
authority  of  beloved  parents);  a love 
of  life,  but  no  fear  of  death  ; and  many 
other  qualities  that  have  commanded 
the  respect  of  the  world  under  the 
bright  light  of  recent  events. 

Brave,  gentle,  artistic,  lovable  little 
Japan,  which,  thirty  odd  years  ago, 
was  nursing  in  quiet  seclusion  a beauti- 
ful flower  of  artistic  civilization,  has  been 
rudely  but  providentially  forced  into 
the  community  of  nations  to  teach  the 
rest  of  the  world  a great  lesson  in 
the  art  of  true  living.  By  the  exer- 
cise of  judicious  but  resistless  courage 


Brave 

Little 

Japan 


42  MENTICULTURE  ; OR,  THE 


World’s 

Congress 

of 

Religions 


she  has  laid  the  Oriental  Colossus 
who  attacked  her  at  her  feet ; and 
if  the  bulldog  and  buzzard  nations  of 
the  West,  do  not  unite  their  forces  to 
obstruct  her  inclination,  she  will  lift 
her  fallen  foe  from  a condition  of 
slavery  to  barbarous  aliens  to  a con- 
dition of  tranquillity  and  happiness. 
She  will  do  this  through  the  introduc- 
tion of  reforms  in  government  and 
administration  which  she  has  gathered 
from  the  best  experience  of  all  the 
world.  What  a missionary  Japan  is  ! 
A missionary  of  the  art  of  true  living. 
A missionary  of  harmony.  The  con- 
tact of  Japan  with  the  other  nations 
made  the  World’s  Congress  of  Relig- 
ions possible  ; and  what  this  means  to 
the  advancement  of  man  on  the  road  to 
harmony  and  happiness,  was  recently 
stated  by  Prof.  Max  Muller,  when  he 
prophesied  that  this  event  would  come 
to  be  appreciated  as  the  greatest  civil- 
izing influence  of  the  Nineteenth  cen- 
tury. 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  43 


May  the  example  of  Japan  set  the 
boors  of  the  world  to  thinking,  cause 
them  to  take  their  fore  feet  out  of  the 
trough,  look  up  to  the  sun  and  the 
light  of  dawning  civilization,  accept 
the  simple  teachings  of  Christ  and 
Buddha  and  common  sense,  and  start 
a Heaven  here  on  earth.  Steam  and 
electricity  have  brought  the  extremes 
of  our  earth  together  ; the  telescope 
has  let  us  into  the  secrets  of  the  neigh- 
boring worlds,  and  logic  and  common 
sense  may  find  in  the  possibility  of 
Emancipation  a means  of  bringing 
Heaven  to  us  in  this  life. 


Extremes 

Brought 

Together 


A DISCUSSION 


A DISCUSSION 


WHICH  FOLLOWED  THE  READING  OF  THE 
FOREGOING  PAPER 

“ Can  anger  and  worry  be  entirely 
eliminated  from  the  human  mind?" 

“ Yes;  they  are  simply  bad  habits 
of  the  mind,  parasites,  unnatural,  and 
therefore  uncivilized  conditions,  nursed 
by  false  ideas  of  pride  or  necessity;  and 
their  elimination  is  a purely  mental 
process  within  the  control  of  every 
intelligent  person  who  has  sufficient 
self-respect  to  recognize  within  him- 
self the  reflection  of  the  Divine 
Image.” 

“In  what  does  the  germ  cure  of 
mental  ills  differ  from  the  Christian 
method  of  repression  through  answer  to 
prayer?" 

“ Christ  clearly  advocated  the  germ 
47 


Christ 
Advocated 
Germ  Cure 


48  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Emancipa- 
tion not 
Weakness 


cure.  He  did  not  say  ‘Try  to  do  un- 
to others  as  you  would  have  others 
do  unto  you,’  but  ‘ Do  unto  others,’ 
etc.  ‘ Be  ye  perfect  as  your  Father  in 
Heaven  is  perfect.’  In  all  of  his 
teachings  do  and  be  were  the  com- 
mands. Most  of  the  creeds,  however, 
endow  man  with  a weakness  which 
is  self-condemning.  The  prayers  are 
offered  perfunctorily,  and  sometimes 
without  belief  in  their  efficacy,  while 
the  passions  are  nursed  privately  in 
full  belief  that  they  are  essential  attri- 
butes of  fallen  man.” 

“ May  not  the  elimination  of  anger 
and  worry  take  away  some  of  the  stimu- 
lation to  effort  that  is  necessary  to  human 
progress  ?" 

‘‘  Assuredly  not.  The  absence  of 
anger  and  worry  is  an  evidence  of 
strength  and  not  of  weakness.  So- 
called  righteous  anger  is  a weakness  in 
the  presence  of  judicial  calm.  Without 
anger  and  worry  one  is  stronger  to 
ward  off  a blow,  administer  a correc- 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING 


49 


tion,  or  protect  a principle.  The  eman- 
cipated mind  is  as  eager  for  effort  as  a 
child  is  for  play.  Freed  from  anger 
and  worry  one  can  shovel  more  dirt, 
plough  more  furrows,  perform  every 
duty  better,  and  with  less  fatigue,  than 
if  under  their  influence.” 

“Are  there  examples  in  every-day  life, 
among  every-day  people,  that  prove  the 
possibility  of  superiority  over  anger  and 
worry?  ” 

“ Yes.  Habitually  profane  men  do 
not  swear  in  the  presence  of  ladies. 
Vicious  men  are  gentle  when  among 
those  whom  they  respect.  The  pas- 
sions are  subservient  to  the  will 
under  conditions  that  reverence  or 
fashion  prescribe.  If  they  are  subser- 
vient under  any  conditions  they  can  be 
controlled  under  all  conditions.  Nothing 
for  instance,  could  make  you  angry 
while  we  are  talking  on  this  subject, 
because  you  would  feel  ashamed  to 
show  slavery  to  a condemned  and 
unmanly  weakness.” 


The 

Strongest 

Evidence 


50  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Why  not 

Always 

Known 


“If  it  is  possible  to  get  rid  of  the 
depressing  passions , and  they  are  so  un- 
profitable, why  has  not  mankind  become 
emancipated  long  before  this?" 

“This  question  can  best  be  an- 
swered by  asking  others.  Why  were  a 
personal  devil  and  witches  and  filmy 
ghosts  considered  possibilities  as  late 
as  the  beginning  of  this  century?  Why 
was  human  slavery  believed  to  be  a 
divine  institution  by  the  majority  of 
the  world’s  inhabitants  as  late  as  fifty 
years  ago?  Why  are  the  divine  right  of 
kings,  and  the  assumption  that  the  sov- 
ereign can  do  no  wrong,  possibilities  of 
the  present?  Why  is  it  possible  that 
a Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States 
can  be  divided  on  questions  of  political 
significance,  and  the  points  of  difference 
of  opinion  be  in  harmony  with  the  pre- 
vious political  affiliations  of  the  jus- 
tices? Politics  represent  the  selfish  in 
human  contact  as  at  present  managed, 
while  justice  is  supposed  to  be  spot- 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  51 

lessly  unselfish ; yet  the  former  un- 

blushingly  invades  the  sanctuary  of  the^manc’Pa' 

latter,  because  selfishness  is  held  to„  ..  , 

, . ,,  Selfish 

be  a necessity. 

“ Is  not  the  condition  of  Emancipation 
selfish?  Is  it  not  selfish  not  to  worry 
for  one' s friend,  even  if  self -worry  is 
eliminated?  ” 

“ Emphatically,  no  ! Emancipation 
puts  one  in  a condition  to  be  unselfish. 

Suppose  his  friend  need  aid  or  sympa- 
thy ; will  worry  furnish  either  ? With 
the  extirpation  of  the  depressing  pas- 
sions comes  the  strength,  and  the  abil- 
ity, and  the  desire , to  give  to  others, 
the  aid  and  sympathy  they  may  be  in 
need  of.  Actual,  or  even  metaphori- 
cal, wringing  of  hands,  is  not  the  sort 
of  sympathy  that  soothes.  It  is  like 
the  “blind  leading  the  blind,”  or  rather, 
the  weak  trying  to  assist  the  weak. 

Better  try  to  help  with  the  strength 
born  of  Emancipation  than  with  the 
weakness  of  the  enervating  passions.” 

“ I can  easily  understand  how  anger 


52  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


One’s 

First 

Duty 


can  be  classed  as  a sin , because  it  is 
aggressive  and  affects  something  outside 
of  us;  as  a sin , I can  see  how  it  ought  to 
be  cast  out;  but  as  worry  deals  only  with 
one' s self,  I do  not  believe  it  can  be 
called  a sin  ; then  why  is  it  necessary  to 
eliminate  it,  especially  as  it  may  be  an 
incentive  to  action,  to  prevent  the  causes 
of  the  worry?  ” 

“ This  whole  question  has  been  an- 
swered before  in  the  presentation  of 
the  theory,  but  as  it  has  not  carried 
the  force  of  impression  that  I intended, 
I will  take  it  up  piecemeal,  and  try  to 
be  more  clear. 

“ In  the  first  place,  one’s  first  duty  is 
to  one’s  self  in  the  matter  of  cultiva- 
tion and  care ; this,  not  on  account  of 
egotism  or  selfishness,  but  in  order  to 
fit  him  to  be  strong  and  useful  and  a 
good  member  of  his  circle.  As  a 
parent,  he  should  make  himself  the 
most  perfect  progenitor  and  example 
possible;  as  a member  of  Society  he 
should  aim  to  be  the  most  able  and 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  53 

useful;  and  as  the  custodian  of  theWoman-s 
Divine  Essence  within  him,  he  should  Qppor- 
not  harbor  or  encourage  weeds  of  the  tunitv 
soul,  whether  visible  to  others,  or  with- 
in the  secret  corners  of  his  own 
heart. 

“ As  to  worry  ever  being  an  incentive 
to  wise  or  good  action,  I will  repeat  a 
section  of  the  theory.  ‘ Worry’s  pro- 
phesies are  seldom  realized,  and  if  they 
are,  the  realization  is  generally  caused 
by  the  worry  itself.’” 

“ How  can  emancipation  be  secured 
for  the  community ?" 

“ Through  the  influence  of  the  eman- 
cipated individual;  chiefly  through  the 
influence  of  the  emancipated  woman.  In 
the  crossing  of  sabers  she  cannot  assist; 
but  in  a war  against  the  enemies  of  the 
mind,  when  love  is  the  weapon,  she 
can  and  will  occupy  a place  in  the 
front  rank.  She  can  make  anger  and 
worry  unfashionable,  as  she  already  has 
made  profanity  and  obscenity  unfash- 
ionable. 


54  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Emancipa- 
tion Clubs 


“To  accomplish  this,  let  clubs  be 
formed  in  each  community  and  in  each 
church,  and  let  each  church  become  a 
club-house  as  well.  Introduce  health- 
ful amusements  such  as  make  other 
clubs  attractive,  and  place  in  large 
letters  over  the  portal  and  the  altar 


GROWTH 

EMANCIPATION 

HELP. 

You  will  have  then  constantly  before 
you  the  only  cure  for  mental  cancers, 
and  the  essence  of  all  religions  ex- 
pressed in  three  words ; you  will  have 
touched  the  button  of  the  Divine  cam- 
era within  you  whose  film  is  sensitive 
only  to  the  rays  of  good.  Love  and 
growth  will  do  the  rest.  The  teachers 
of  morality  and  religion  will  do  abler 
work  under  the  realization  that  not 
only  the  ‘old  Adam,’  but  the  Divine 
Essence  as  well,  have  seats  in  each 
human  soul,  and  that,  when  the  good 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  55 


is  appealed  to  in  terms  of  confidence  . 

and  understanding,  evil  will  be  cast  out  _ . . 

Societies 

instantly , without  a lifetime  of  contro- 
versy, and  without  waiting  for  eternity, 
or  even  for  the  death-bed  to  unloose 
the  fetters. 

As  a result  of  organization  on 
the  basis  of  Emancipation,  and  when 
it  has  become  an  accepted  fact  that 
anger  and  worry  are  only  bad  habits 
of  the  mind,  no  clergyman  can  show 
them  and  retain  the  respect  of  his 
congregation ; no  King’s  Daughter 
can  entertain  them  and  be  worthy  of 
her  badge ; no  member  of  the  Christ- 
ian Endeavor  Society  can  harbor 
within  himself  the  arch  enemies  of 
Christianity  which  the  Master  com- 
manded his  disciples  to  cast  out,  and 
be  loyal  to  his  cause  ; and  no  individual 
in  the  pursuit  of  duty,  or  even  of  sel- 
fish pleasure,  can  afford  to  carry  such 

weighty  handicaps  and  hope  to  win  the 
> > 


race. 


PLYMOUTH  CHURCH  CLUB 

AND 

ARMOUR  INSTITUTE 


PLYMOUTH  CHURCH  CLUB  AND 
ARMOUR  INSTITUTE 

A good  example  of  a church  club 
is  that  which  forms  a part  of  Plymouth 
Church  in  Chicago.  Plymouth  Club 
was  founded  by  Dr.  Scudder  and  is 
warmly  encouraged  by  Dr.  Frank  W. 
Gunsaulus,  the  present  pastor  of  the 
church.  Dr.  Gunsaulus  is  also  presi- 
dent of  Armour  Institute,  where  man- 
ual training  is  taught  side  by  side  with 
letters  and  the  sciences  to  men  and 
women  alike.  In  these  two  eminently 
practical  organizations  most  of  the 
conditions  favorable  to  growth  are 
already  furnished.  Add  to  these 
Emancipation  as  the  motto  of  the 
club,  and  as  the  requisite  mental  ac- 
complishment for  admission  to  the 
school,  and  the  conditions  will  be  per- 
fected to  the  highest  degree. 

59 


Frank  W. 
Gunsaulus 


6o  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


College 

Presidents 

Respon- 

sible 


The  word  Emancipation  has  a very- 
formidable  sound  because  it  is  asso- 
ciated with  a great  war;  but  its  attain- 
ment through  germ  eradication  is  a 
simple  and  easy  accomplishment. 

The  presidents  of  great  mental  and 
manual  training  institutions  know  that 
the  depressing  and  dwarfing  phantoms 
of  the  mind  are  merely  bad  habits — 
weeds  that  can  be  rooted  out — and 
that  anger  and  worry  are  the  roots. 

They  have  provided  commodious 
buildings,  learned  professors,  the  most 
perfect  chemical  and  mechanical  appli- 
ances, and  thousands  of  books,  to  aid 
mental  and  manual  culture;  and  yet, 
they  fail  to  apply  the  first  principle  of 
all  their  sciences  to  the  preparation  of 
the  pupil.  In  horticulture  they  do  not 
tolerate  worms  or  weeds;  in  chemistry 
they  first  examine  into  the  purity  of 
the  ingredients;  and  in  mechanics  the 
greatest  care  is  taken  to  avoid  friction. 
Anger  and  worry  are  conditions  of  ex- 
treme mental  friction,  which,  during 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING 


6l 


their  presence,  stop  the  progressive 
action  of  the  mental  machine.  - 

It  would  impose  no  impossibility, 
neither  would  it  entail  any  hardship, 
to  require  of  students  that  they  should 
subscribe  to  the  following: 

Science  teaches , and  experience  corrob- 
orates the  fact , that  the  depressing  or 
evil  passions  are  bad  habits  of  the  mind , 
and  not  necessary  ingredients. 

Anger  and  worry  are  the  roots  of  the 
evil  passions  and  can  be  pulled  out. 

In  order  to  promote  the  best  possible 
growth  it  is  required  that  Emancipation 
should  be  the  rule  of  life  of  the  student. 

Under  the  suggestion  of  the  possi- 
bility of  Emancipation  from  undesira- 
ble mental  enemies,  emanating  from 
so  respected  a source  as  the  faculty 
of  a chosen  college,  the  student  would 
acquire  the  prerequisite  condition  of 
“faith”;  while  the  absorbing  work  of 
college  life,  surrounded  by  fellows 
working  in  sympathy  with  him,  would 
strengthen  the  faith  into  a belief;  and 


A Rule 
of  Life 


62 


MENTICULTURE 


Emancipa- 
tion will 
Spread 


the  immediate  recompense  of  harmony 
would  be  evidence  of  its  value  as  a 
rule  of  life. 

From  the  school  the  student  would 
carry  the  rule  back  into  the  family,  and 
into  all  walks  in  life;  and  with  the  aid 
of  present  means  of  communication 
the  influence  would  spread  the  world 
over,  disarm  the  prodigious  prepara- 
tions for  struggle  that  are  being  made, 
and  distribute  the  palm  branch  to  take 
the  place  of  the  sword. 

Will  not  the  great  educators  whom 
the  world  respects  so  highly,  and  in 
whom  it  has  so  much  faith,  try  the 
experiment?  The  promised  fruit  is 
worth  the  trial. 


DIAGNOSIS  AND  REMEDY 


DIAGNOSIS  AND  REMEDY 

It  is  believed  by  many,  that  Society 
and  Politics,  at  the  present  time,  are 
badly  diseased.  Mr.  Max  Nordau’s 
diagnosis  of  them,  which  he  entitled 
Degeneration , has  met  with  general 
approval.  Legislative  (especially  mu- 
nicipal) corruption,  and  the  degrada- 
tion of  some  of  the  courts,  are  open 
evidence  of  the  fact.  Statesmanship 
and  Politics  have  been  divorced,  and 
are  already  strangers  to  each  other. 
The  marriage  of  Might  and  Right,  has 
been  sanctioned  by  popular  consent. 
Power  is  no  longer  used  as  a lever  with 
which  to  uplift  the  weak,  but  has  been 
transformed  into  a social  crushing  ma- 
chine. Caste,  ostentation,  dissipation, 
and  insincerity,  are  the  established 
idols  that  lure  the  present  generation 
towards  greedy  ambition. 

65 


Degenera- 

tion 


66  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Ready  to 
Break 


It  is  also  believed,  and  is  perhaps 
true,  that  the  social  ulcers  have  been 
so  irritated  by  ostentatious  rivalry,  and 
the  commercial  ulcers  are  so  distended 
with  the  pus  of  ruinous  competition 
and  corruption,  that  they  must  soon 
come  to  a head,  and  that  convalescence 
and  cure  may  be  possibilities  of  the 
future. 

While  these  symptoms  of  disease 
are  visible  to  all,  and  are  tolerated  as 
necessary  evils,  they  fortunately  do  not 
cover  the  whole  body  politic;  but  yet, 
they  seriously  disfigure  its  face,  and 
grievously  affect  the  healthy  action  of 
its  heart. 

In  the  political  world,  many  agents 
are  actively  at  work  to  effect  cure  of 
the  evils  which  flaunt  unblushing  in  the 
face  of  the  public.  The  Committee  of 
Seventy  in  New  York,  The  Civic  Fed- 
eration in  Chicago,  and  the  National 
Municipal  Reform  League  of  the  United 
States,  are  all  doing  good  temporary 
work,  but  they  do  not  reach  the  root 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  67 


causes  of  the  evils  they  aim  to  correct; 
and  it  is  doubtful  if  the  reforms  they 
accomplish  will  be  any  more  permanent 
than  were  those  of  their  equally  zeal- 
ous predecessors. 

In  the  moral  and  religious  world, 
much  the  same  futile  methods  of  cure 
through  repression  are  in  use  that  ob- 
tained during  the  Dark  Middle  Ages. 

In  the  individual,  phantoms  of  the 
imagination,  whose  presence  impose 
stagnation  and  disease,  are  created 
and  clothed  with  the  authority  of  mas- 
ters, under  the  belief  that  they  are  the 
curses  which  bind  fallen  men  to  earth ; 
and  this  in  contradiction  of  every 
assurance  and  promise  of  Christ ; in 
opposition  to  all  intelligent  methods 
of  culture  used  in  connection  with  ani- 
mals and  plants  ; and  contrary  to  com- 
mon sense. 

These  are  strong  statements,  but 
they  are  indisputable ; and  if  they  are 
true,  what  then,  is  the  remedy? 

As  previously  stated,  the  only  cure  is 


Slow 

Repre 

Futile 


68  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Task  not 
Difficult 


the  germ  cure;  and,  beginning  with  the 
individual. 

The  task  is  not  a difficult  one. 
Appreciation  of  the  limitations  of  the 
power  of  the  depressing  passions,  and 
one’s  strength  to  extirpate  them,  and 
to  be  superior  to  them,  are  the  only 
necessary  prerequisites  to  victory. 
There  is  no  tedious  discipline,  as  in  the 
various  methods  of  repression  in 
vogue;  and  dividends  are  immediately 
and  continuously  collectable  on  the 
fair  face  of  the  investment.  No  rule 
of  conduct  is  necessary;  for,  out  of 
Emancipation,  only  good  conduct,  to  fit 
environing  circumstances,  can  be  ex- 
pected ; and  yet,  every  Christian,  every 
Jew,  every  Buddhist,  every  Moham- 
metan,  every  Free  Mason,  and  every 
Odd  Fellow,  can  accept  Emancipation 
as  a rule  of  life,  without  renouncing 
his  other  faiths  and  affiliations,  be- 
cause it  is  the  fundamental  principle  of 
them  all,  expressed  in  terms  of  present 
knowledge,  and  unclouded  by  the 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  69 


shadows  of  ignorance  and  superstition, 
which  gave  the  name  of  Dark  Ages  to 
a period  of  our  history. 

And  outside  of  these  devotees, 
there  is  the  great  mass  of  men,  the  so- 
called  Skeptics,  who  claim  to  adhere 
to  logic,  and  scientific  sense,  for  their 
light  on  spiritual,  as  well  as  on  material 
subjects.  To  these,  Emancipation  will 
be  a haven  of  repose  for  their  spirit- 
ual yearnings;  and,  unimpeded  growth, 
under  Divinely  natural  conditions, 
“will  do  the  rest”  for  them  all. 


Skeptics 

Interested 


PRESCRIPTION 


PRESCRIPTION 


One  grain  of  the  assurance  of  Christ 
that  man  is  made  in  the  image  of  God. 

One  grain  of  respect  for  the  respon- 
sibility of  the  care  and  culture  of  the 
Divine  Essence  with  which  we  have 
been  entrusted. 

One  grain  of  the  command  of  Christ 
(implying  a possibility)  “ Be  ye  per- 
fect, as  your  Father  in  Heaven  is  per- 
fect.” 

One  grain  of  the  example  of  Buddha 
that  man  can  grow  to  perfection  through 
the  elimination  of  anger  and  worry 
and  their  brood  of  dependent  pas- 
sions. 

One  grain  of  the  wisdom  of  Aris- 
totle which  declared  that  the  passions 
are  habits  of  the  mind,  and  can  be  got- 
ten rid  of  as  physical  habits  are  gotten 
rid  of. 


A Simple 
Remedy 


73 


74 


MENT1CULTURE 


The 

Ever-full 

Never-full 


One  grain  of  the  assurance  of  Omar 
Khayyam  that  Heaven  and  Hell  are 
within  ourselves. 

One  grain  of  the  assurance  of  Christ 
that  “the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  at 
hand.” 

One  grain  of  common  sense  applied 
to  an  analysis  of  mental  handicaps  and 
the  discovery  of  their  limitations. 

One  grain  of  the  to-day  experience 
of  the  author  that  anger  and  worry  are 
the  roots  of  all  the  passions  which  de- 
press, and  can  be  eliminated. 

DIRECTIONS. 

Take:  and  then  let 

The  ever-full,  never-full  bounty  of  love, 

Sing  a song,  tell  a tale,  strike  a chord,  from  above. 
Soften  strife  out  of  life,  find  a pleasure  in  giving, 
Sound  the  kev-note  on  earth,  of  the  Art  of  T rue  Living. 


SCRAPS  OF  EVIDENCE 


SCRAPS  OF  EVIDENCE 


Early  in  life  I was  fortunate  enough 
to  acquire  the  belief  that,  what  seemed 
to  be  the  consensus  of  opinion  of  the 
learned  in  any  art  or  science,  ought 
to  be  true;  and,  accepting  their  dictum, 
I have  tried  to  grow  up  to  an  appre- 
ciation of  their  intelligence  or  taste 
in  the  subjects  of  their  study,  without 
combatting  it  with  my  own  callow  im- 
pressions. In  this  way  I have  enjoyed 
an  early  appreciation  of  the  classics 
in  music  and  in  art,  much  in  advance  of 
the  ordinary  experience  derived  from 
personal  contact.  In  this  spirit  of  in- 
vestigation I have  collected  some 
scraps  of  evidence  which  all  prove  my 
theory.  No  one  has  denied  the  possi- 
bility of  Emancipation,  but  every  one 
has  found  a pleasure  at  once  in  the  ray 
of  hope  it  suggests. 

Since  my  attention  has  been  direct- 
77 


Evidence 

Sought 


A Phy- 
sician 


78  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 

ed  to  the  possible  total  emancipation 
from  the  depressing  passions,  I have 
taken  occasion  to  interview  every  man 
who  seemed  to  enjoy  unclouded  hap- 
piness, as  to  the  secret  of  his  happi- 
ness. In  almost  every  instance  I have 
learned  that  the  emancipated  condi- 
tion has  dated,  not  from  infancy  and 
inheritance,  but  from  some  incident  in 
later  life  that  exposed  the  passions  to 
ridicule,  or  showed  them  to  be  a cause 
of  danger;  such  as  death  as  the  result 
of  worry,  or  crime  as  the  result  of 
anger ; some  object  lesson  which 
proved  the  danger  of  permitting  the 
passions  to  absorb  one.  I enquired  of 

A PHYSICIAN 

who  has  recently  been  selected  by 
vote  of  the  members  of  his  profes- 
sion to  a position  of  honor  among 
them,  and  who  is  conspicuous  for 
his  enjoyment  of  such  healthful  recrea- 
tion as  only  much  younger  men  usu- 
ally enjoy,  whether  he  did  not  consider 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING 


79 


anger  and  worry  habits  of  the  mind, 
and  not  as  necessary  ingredients.  “Cer- 
tainly,” said  he,  “and  I know  it  to  be 
true  by  the  best  possible  evidence,  the 
evidence  of  experience.”  After  some 
further  questioning  I was  able  to  get 
from  him  the  following  story:  “ When 
I was  a boy  I had  an  ungovernable 
temper  which  brought  from  my  neigh- 
bors the  prediction  that  I would  come 
to  some  bad  end.  At  school  I was 
known  as  one  of  the  four  or  five 
‘roosters.’  There  was  scarcely  a day 
that  a ring  was  not  formed,  and  some 
of  us  ‘roosters’  did  not  engage  in  a 
fight.  I followed  my  studies  pretty 
closely,  however,  in  pursuance  of  a 
natural  inclination  to  be  ‘ on  top,’  but 
without  any  laudable  ambition  in  con- 
nection with  them,  and  finally  gradu- 
ated in  medicine  and  began  practice. 
I suffered  great  annoyance  from  horses 
and  servants,  and  quarreled  with  them 
constantly,  and  got  mad  at  my  patients 
if  they  showed  any  unreasonable  ten- 


Possessed 
of  Devils 


8o  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Emanci- 

pation 

Assures 

Success 


dencies;  until  one  day  it  came  to  me 
as  a sudden  revelation,  that,  what  most 
hindered  them  from  getting  well,  was 
the  very  thing  that  possessed  me  the 
greater  part  of  the  time,  and  made  me 
disagreeable  to  myself  and  others;  and 
I resolved  to  master  myself  as  I had 
tried  to  master  others.  From  that 
time  I date  my  success  in  life,  and 
certainly  my  happiness.  I will  not  al- 
low anything  to  worry  me.  If  a driver 
or  other  servant  does  not  please  me, 
I do  not  quarrel  with  him,  but  pay 
him  off,  and  let  him  go  with  the  best 
of  feeling  I have  a collector  who  is 
very  faithful,  and  very  candid  at  the 
same  time.  When  he  fails  to  collect 
an  account  that  is  due,  I sometimes 
ask  him  the  reason,  and  he  repeats  to 
me  what  my  patient  has  said.  One 
day  I questioned  him  about  an  account 
that  had  been  long  overdue,  against 
a patient  whom  I met  cordially  every 
day  at  the  club,  but  who  was  evidently 
‘short’  at  the  time  and  suffered  annoy- 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  8 1 

ance  from  collectors.  ‘ What  did  he 
say?’  said  I.  ‘He  said,  sir,  “Tell  the 
doctor  to  go  to  hell,”  replied  the  honest 
collector.  Most  men  would  have  taken 
offense  at  the  message,  and  prosecuted 
his  patient  for  the  debt,  or  ‘cut’  him, 
or  expressed  anger  in  some  way;  but  I 
simply  didn’t  go  where  he  had  ordered, 
and  never  referred  to  the  matter  with 
him.  We  are  the  best  of  friends  now, 
and  he  is  one  of  my  warmest  advo- 
cates.” 

A MANUFACTURER 

The  president  of  one  of  the  largest 
manufacturing  corporations  in  the 
country,  having  properties  in  a dozen 
states,  related  to  me  the  following 
story  : 

“Some  years  ago  I journeyed  south 
with  a railroad  magnate  who  stood 
very  high  at  the  time  in  the  railway 
world.  We  came  to  a river  crossed 
by  his  road.  The  bridge  had  been 
washed  away,  and,  while  it  was  rebuild- 


Unreason 

able 

Railway 

Magnate 


82  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Too  Proud 
to  Apolo- 
gize 


ing,  trains  were  ferried  to  the  further 
shores.  Owing  to  some  accident  there 
was  no  boat  on  hand  to  transport  the 
official’s  car  across  the  stream.  He 
became  so  angry  that  he  flew  into  a 
wild  passion,  and  cursed  and  dis- 
charged the  subordinates  in  charge  of 
the  division  without  inquiry  as  to  the 
cause  of  the  delay.  He  learned  after- 
ward that  the  accident  to  the  boat 
was  unavoidable,  and  that  none  of  the 
employes  whom  he  had  insulted  so 
grossly  and  discharged  so  unfairly 
were  responsible  for  it ; but  he  was  too 
proud  to  apologize. 

“The  incident  made  such  an  impres- 
sion on  me,  that  I resolved  never  to 
show  anger  again  before  my  em- 
ployes ; and  I have  kept  my  resolve. 
It  has  led  to  my  renouncing  the  habit 
altogether,  and  for  many  years  anger 
has  ceased  to  be  a component  part 
of  my  nature.  I am  sorry  that  I did  not 
discharge  worry  at  the  same  time,  as 
results  have  proved  that  it  has  had 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  83 


no  real  cause  to  exist ; and  it  has,  as 
you  say,  stolen  much  precious  time 
and  energy  out  of  my  life.” 


Did  not 
Dare  to  be 
Angry 


A MADMAN 


Another  example  of  the  possible 
control  of  the  passions,  and  a most 
important  one,  is  told  by  another 
friend.  One  of  the  chums  of  his 
youth  had  fits  of  anger  during  which 
he  was  possessed  with  an  insatiable 
desire  to  kill  the  object  of  his  wrath,  if 
it  happened  to  be  a living  being,  or  to 
break  it  if  it  were  inanimate.  During 
his  seasons  of  calm  he  deplored  his 
weakness,  and  resolved  not  to  permit 
it  to  take  possession  of  him.  He 
stopped  being  angry  because  he  was 
afraid  of  the  consequences.  He  did 
not  dare  to  be  angry.  As  a result  he 
has  lived  a life  filled  with  charity  and 
consideration  for  others,  which  has 
been  a blessing  to  himself  and  those 
about  him. 


84  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Hard 

Work 

Never 

Kills 


MR.  DANA 

Mr.  Charles  A.  Dana  once  sent  a 
member  of  the  staff  of  the  New  York 
Sun  to  learn,  if  possible,  what  was 
the  probable  cause  of  the  death  of 
some  men  of  high  standing  in  the 
financial  world  who  were  reported  to 
have  hastened  their  death  by  over- 
work. Mr.  Dana  did  not  believe  that 
hard  work  could  kill.  The  result  of 
the  inquiry  in  each  instance  was  to 
the  effect  that  these  men  were  the 
victims  of  worry,  which  was  as  unne- 
cessary, as  it  was  unprofitable  and  fatal. 

AN  AUTHOR 

One  of  the  most  prolific,  observing, 
and  interesting  writers  of  stories  and 
descriptive  articles  for  the  magazines, 
a war  correspondent  and  one  time  jour- 
nalist, has  endorsed  and  practiced  the 
theory  presented  in  this  paper,  and  has 
done  me  the  honor  to  write  approv- 
ingly as  follows : 

“I  have  succeeded  in  entirely  rid- 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  85 


ding  myself  of  the  cancers,  and  am 
amazed  at  the  ease  with  which  it  was 
done.  You  are  certainly  an  apostle  of 
sweetness  and  light,  and  I shall  never 
be  able  to  thank  you  enough  for  letting 
me  into  your  noble  secret.” 

He  notes  especially  an  improved 
digestion,  and  feels  younger  each  day 
as  he  progresses  in  the  new  life. 

A GENERAL  MANAGER 

The  Southern  General  Manager  of 
one  of  the  largest  British  Insurance 
Companies  is  a tried  convert,  and  finds 
health  and  happiness  which  had  never 
been  attained  while  under  the  thraldom 
of  worry,  which  was  his  only  former 
affliction. 

AN  AUTHORESS 

The  author  of  a novel  which  has  just 
come  before  the  public,  and  which 
is  one  of  the  purest  and  most  ingenious 
stories  ever  published,  is  an  ardent  con- 
vert to  the  belief  that  she  is  superior 
to  the  depressing  passions,  and  her 


An  Author 

Feels 

Younger 


86  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Germ  Cure 
Logical  to 
All 


naturally  religious  temperament  finds 
great  solace  in  it. 

A LAWYER 

A leading  lawyer  of  New  Orleans, 
of  very  old  family,  religious  by  nature, 
but  not  sectarian,  found  comfort  in  the 
idea  of  the  possible  elimination  of  the 
passions,  and  the  unrestricted  growth 
of  the  God-given  faculties,  in  substance 
as  follows : 

“The  germ  theory  of  cure  must  ap- 
peal to  all  persons  in  a greater  or  less 
degree,  especially  to  such  as  find  it  dif- 
ficult to  believe  in  a personal  Deity  who 
receives  directly  and  directly  answers 
prayer  as  a special  dispensation.  They 
can  find  logic  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
Divine  Spark  which  has  been  breathed 
in  to  them,  and  feel  that  in  its  growth 
toward  perfection  the  Laws  of  Nature 
are  being  assisted  and  not  violated ; 
while  to  such  as  find  faith  in  a personal 
God  and  comfort  and  help  in  prayer, 
the  ability  to  be  superior  to  sinful 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  87 

thoughts  will  give  stimulation  to  their  „ Qet  yjiee 
faith,  and  be  a fulfilment  of  the  Ex-  Behind  me 
ample,  which  taught  : ‘ Get  thee  behind  Satan” 

me , Satan  /” 

A SOUTHRON 

I was  traveling  with  a friend  from 
the  South  who  is  one  of  the  best  fel- 
lows that  I know.  He  is  kind,  consid- 
erate, chivalrous,  and  all  that  char- 
acterizes a Southern  gentleman;  but  he 
has  a false  idea  of  dignity  in  some  re- 
spects, and  precipitates  controversy 
sometimes  without  cause,  and  when  he 
himself  is  to  blame  in  the  matter.  We 
were  discussing  the  theory  of  Emanci- 
pation, and  he  agreed  with  me  on  almost 
all  of  the  points  at  issue,  in  fact  to  such 
an  extent  that  I felt  that  he  absorbed 
the  idea  fully,  when  he  said  : “Yes, 

it  is  true,  and  I believe  in  it,  and  I 
think  I have  practiced  it  somewhat ; 
but  I can’t  stand  impertinence  from 
niggers ; they  rub  up  against  me  all 
the  time,  and  annoy  me  terribly,  espe- 


88  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


“Superior 
to  Nig- 
gers” 


daily  these  Pullman  porters.”  “Yes,” 
said  I in  reply,  “ you  have  attained 
pretty  good  self-control  and  have  rea- 
son to  be  proud  of  it ; you  are  pretty 
nearly  a perfect  man  ; the  only  thing 
you  are  not  superior  to  is  a nigger.” 
The  rebuke  impressed  him  as  a truism 
that  had  never  occurred  to  him  in  that 
light  before. 

The  truth  of  the  matter  is,  and  I 
have  had  both  experiences  to  prove  it 
to  my  own  satisfaction,  antagonism  in- 
vites antagonism.  A fostered  dislike 
or  an  anticipated  friction  sends  out  a 
shaft  in  advance  which  rebounds  and 
rebounds  with  quickening  vibrations. 
If  one  is  looking  for  impertinence  from 
any  source  he  will  be  pretty  sure  to 
find  it;  but  if  he  carries  a mind  and 
heart  free  from  prejudice,  which  is  the 
condition  of  Emancipation,  the  shaft 
will  not  be  unloosed,  and  the  disturb- 
ing vibrations  will  not  occur.  I do  not 
believe  that  Pullman  porters  were  ever 
discourteous  to  Phillips  Brooks,  or  Ed- 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  89 


ward  Everett  Hale,  or  Professor  Swing 
or  men  of  their  caliber  of  mind;  or  if 
they  were,  I do  not  believe  that  the 
impertinence  made  any  impression  on 
them  except  to  excite  pity. 

FEAR  DISPELLED 

The  most  remarkable  evidence  in 
support  of  my  theory  that  fear  is  dis- 
pelled with  worry,  and  which  corrob- 
orates my  own  experience,  comes  from 
an  old  friend  who  once  had  a shock 
from  a stroke  of  lightning,  and  who, 
on  account  of  it,  has  for  years  suffered 
wretchedly  from  a depression  akin  to 
involuntary  fear  whenever  the  weather 
has  indicated  an  approaching  storm. 
He  has  accepted  the  possibility  of 
Emancipation  and  enjoyed  deliver- 
ance from  the  passions,  but  strangely 
enough  has  also  now  immunity  from 
any  uncomfortable  feeling  during  elec- 
tric storms. 


Fear 

Dispelled 


90  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  TEIE 


TIMIDITY  DISAPPEARS 


Psychic 

Evidence 


Another  convert  states  that  he  has 
lost  all  timidity,  in  the  presence  of  an 
audience,  which  formerly  he  could  not 
overcome. 


THOMSON  J.  HUDSON 

Mr.  Thomson  J.  Hudson,  in  his  Law 
of  Psychic  Phenomena,  has  marshalled  a 
great  array  of  authentic  evidence, 
gathered  from  the  researches  of  many 
Psychological  Societies,  which  all 
prove  the  power  of  the  mind  over 
itself  and  over  the  body,  and  its 
amenability  to  suggestion,  under  the 
receptive  condition  of  faith.  One  can 
not  read  this  able  work  without  becom- 
ing convinced  that  Emancipation  is 
entirely  possible.  Any  one  who  wishes 
to  learn  something  of  the  power  stored 
within  him,  will  do  well  to  read  the 
Law  of  Psychic  Phenomena. 

The  success  of  the  Keeley  Cure  in 
conquering  the  habits  of  drinking, 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  91 

opium,  and  tobacco,  is  proof  of  the  Source  of 
efficacy  of  germ  treatment  where  the  All  Wealth 
germs  are  sensual,  or  mental.  If  bi- 
chloride of  gold  can  cure  such  dread 
passions  of  the  appetite,  may  not  bi- 
chloride of  common  sense  cure  the  bad 
habits  of  the  mind  that  cause  them? 

A MASTER  WORKMAN 

And  now,  comes  a scrap  of  evi- 
dence that  is  valuable  because  it  is 
furnished  by  a man  whose  experience 
is  wide  among  the  people  who  make 
the  wealth  which  we  all  enjoy;  to 
whom  we  are  directly  indebted  for 
the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  life ; 
and  whose  endorsement  of  an  idea 
or  reform  is  necessary  to  make  it  be- 
come a feature  of  our  system  or 
government.  He  went  west  many 
years  ago  from  New  York,  a mechanic 
by  trade,  and  found  employment  in 
the  shops  of  one  of  the  great  rail- 
roads. In  time  he  was  advanced 
to  the  position  of  foreman.  In  private 


92  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


]}rini,s  life  he  is  now  a Baron  Bountiful 
Sunniest  t^ie  service  of  everybody  within 
Comfort  his  reach.  As  Masterworkman  of  La- 
bor Organizations,  he  has  urged  the 
just  cause  of  his  confreres  with  the 
success  that  follows  earnest  conviction. 
In  the  intimate  confidence  of  his  em- 
ployers, he  has  presented  their  side  of 
a controversy  to  the  men  without  any  of 
the  misrepresentation  of  a demagogue. 

He  is  the  President  of  a sound 
Building  and  Loan  Association,  with- 
out salary,  not  to  make  money  for  him- 
self, but  for  the  purpose  of  helping  his 
men  to  build  and  own  homes;  and 
those  who  have  felt  his  assistance  in 
that  direction,  and  owe  him  debts  of 
gratitude  for  various  benefactions,  are 
numbered  by  the  hundreds.  When- 
ever there  is  sickness,  he  brings  solid 
help  and  the  sunniest  of  comfort;  and 
when  there  is  death,  he  knows  just  how 
best  to  serve  the  afflicted  family  with 
those  delicate  attentions  which  relieve 
them  from  repulsively  material  de- 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  93 


tails,  his  presence  always  bringing  com- 
fort even  under  circumstances  in  which 
people  want  most  to  be  alone.  His 
sympathy  is  universal,  and  reflects  itself 
into  the  hearts  of  all  with  whom  he 
comes  in  contact. 

To  such  a man,  one  would  naturally 
think  the  depressing  passions  were 
strangers,  and  that  he  must  have  been 
born  without  them;  but  he  assures  me 
that  he  was  a slave  to  them  for  many 
years,  and  that  he  was  frightened  out  of 
harboring  them  by  a physician,  and  that 
whatever  good  he  has  accomplished  in 
his  humble  sphere  (as  he  calls  it)  he 
attributes  to  the  partial  Emancipation 
which  his  doctor’s  warning  led  him  to 
enforce  upon  himself.  The  story  that 
follows  was  elicited  on  hearing  an  out- 
line of  the  theory  of  possible  Emanci- 
pation as  presented  in  these  pages. 

“Stop  right  there:  don’t  go  any 
farther  till  I have  talked  with  you  about 
that  part  of  it.  It  is  as  true  as  gospel, 
but  I never  knew  what  it  was.  I have 


Emancipa- 
tion Ap- 
preciated 


94  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


“The  Old 
Gentleman 
Needs  it” 


had  an  experience  which  makes  me 
know  that  it  is  true,  but  I didn’t  know 
the  reason  for  it.  When  the  doctors 
told  me  that  I must  quit  worrying  and 
take  it  easy,  or  medicine  would  do  me 
no  good,  and  I would  die,  why  didn’t 
they  tell  me  that  anger  and  worry  were 
not  necessary,  and  that  it  was  they  that 
I was  suffering  from?  I would  have 
understood  it  better,  and  I wouldn’t 
have  had  so  much  trouble  about  fearing 
I would  have  them  back  some  time  in 
spite  of  myself.  Why  didn’t  the  preach- 
ers tell  me  this  when  I was  a boy,  and 
let  me  begin  to  live  then,  instead  of 
waiting  till  I got  to  be  an  old  man  or 
pretty  near  to  it?  You  can  bet  that 
my  boys  will  know  this  thing  right 
away,  and  live  it  too,  and  I want  my 
men  to  know  it.  It  is  the  only  thing 
they  need  to  complete  their  happiness. 
The  old  gentleman  needs  it,  and  Mr. — , 

and  Mr . (mentioning  a number  of 

well  known  men  who  are  their  own 
worst  enemies,  who  harm  no  one  but 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING 


95 


themselves,  but  whose  abuse  of  self, 

through  worry,  is  as  merciless  as  the  , <^ot  to 

tortures  of  the  Inquisition);  and  what  a ' uPerm 
11  • • i r i .tendent” 

blessing  it  would  be  tor  the  women! 

See  here,  I want  a hundred  of  those 
books  as  soon  as  they  are  published, 
and  I know  where  they  will  do  a heap 
of  good.  They  will  be  better  than  the 
medicine  of  all  the  doctors,  and  do  a 
lot  of  good  besides.  I’m  going  to  com- 
mit what  you  have  told  me  to  memory, 
so  as  to  tell  people  about  it  if  I haven’t 
got  a book  by  me.  You  see  that  I 
know  all  about  this,  for  I have  had  an 
experience.  When  I was  a youngster, 

I was  naturally  ambitious,  and  pretty 
smart  with  the  tools,  and  ‘took’  with 
my  employers,  and  finally  got  to  be 
superintendent.  Then  I got  to  be  more 
ambitious,  especially  after  I was  married 
and  the  children  came.  I wanted  them 
to  have  a good  education  and  be  fitted 
to  be  gentlemen,  which  I knew  their 
mother’s,  and  I might  remark  incident- 
ally, my  own  blood  entitled  them  to  be. 


96  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


It  Became 
a Habit 


I was  pretty  sensitive,  and  was  always 
standing  up  for  my  rights.  I was  too 
apt  to  worry.  I had  not  heard  what 
you  have  told  me  and  thought  worry 
necessary.  If  I had  not  worried  I 
would  not  have  got  angry. 

“ When  I got  to  be  superintendent  I 
thought  that  one  of  the  things  that  I 
had  to  do  was  to  be  sure  and  maintain 
my  dignity,  and  show  it  by  occasion- 
ally making  believe  mad  at  something. 
At  first  I did  not  feel  it  half  as  much 
as  I showed  it ; but  I thought  it 
was  part  of  the  business  of  a boss 
to  get  mad,  until  finally  it  got  to  be 
a habit,  and  grew  on  me  till  I was  in  a 
state  of  anger  most  of  the  time.  I 
also  thought  that  I had  to  worry  about 
things,  or  I would  not  show  the  proper 
respect  for  my  responsibilities.  It  was 
the  way  I had  of  letting  myself  feel  that 
I was  carrying  a terrible  burden  and 
earning  my  salary.  The  trouble  was 
that,  while  it  was  partly  play-acting  at 
first,  it  came  to  be  habit,  and  worked  on 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING 


97 


my  health  in  the  end.  The  doctors 
dosed  me  with  all  sorts  of  medicine.  I 
was  a regular  pigeon,  and  gave  up  many 
a hard-earned  dollar  to  them  for  no 

good  at  all.  One  day  Dr.  L , to 

whom  I went  as  a last  resort,  for  I was 
beginning  to  have  dizzy  spells  and 
twitching  in  the  face  that  was  serious, 
asked  me  a lot  of  questions  about 
myself  and  my  habits  and  duties.  I 
told  him  frankly,  and  when  I had  done 
so  he  said  : 'There  is  no  use  giving 

you  any  medicine,  you  have  got  to  quit 
worrying  and  take  it  easy  ; that  is  the 
only  trouble  with  you.  If  you  keep  on 
with  your  worry  I will  have  to  give 
your  family  a certificate  of  death;  so,  if 
you  don’t  want  me  to  do  that,  you  just 
quit  your  worrying  and  take  life  easy. 
Whatever  you  do,  don’t  get  into  fits  of 
anger,  for  that  is  more  wearing  to  a 
man  in  your  condition  than  anything 
else.’  Well,  to  ’fess  up  and  tell  you 
the  truth,  I got  frightened  out  of  my 
wits.  I hadn’t  got  near  enough  to 


“ Fright- 
ened out  of 
my  Wits  ” 


98  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Anger  and 
Worry 
Caused 
Sickness 


eighty  (my  limit)  to  think  about  dying, 
and  I didn’t  want  to  do  it  right  then, 
especially  as  I hadn’t  got  Mary  and 
the  boys  well  enough  fixed  to  leave. 
The  other  doctors  had  made  a monkey 
of  me,  and  took  my  money,  and  told 
me  that  I would  be  all  right  in  a few 
days ; but  this  honest  German  told  me 
the  truth  and  set  me  to  thinking.  I 
didn’t  say  a word  to  anyone,  but  made 
up  my  mind  I would  take  his  advice. 
At  first  I thought  that  I was  shirking 
some  of  the  duties  of  a superintendent, 
when  I quit  getting  mad  and  worrying; 
but  I squared  it  with  myself  by  saying 
to  myself,  ‘ Better  be  a tame  donkey 
for  the  company  than  a dead  one.’ 
Well,  I didn’t  know  it  at  the  time  ; 
that  is,  I didn’t  know  the  cause  of  it, 
but  from  that  time  I have  just  had 
luck  under  my  wing  all  the  time.  I 
have  pleased  my  employers,  and  f have 
pleased  the  men,  and  things  have  been 
coming  my  way  in  great  shape,  and 
they  are  still  a-coming.  Why,  I see  it 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  99 


all  as  plain  as  the  nose  on  your  face. 
Those  little  devils  that  keep  a man 
back,  and  keep  him  from  being  happy, 
have  no  business  there  by  rights;  and  all 
you  have  got  to  know  is  that  they  are 
poachers,  and  all  you  have  got  to  do  is 
to  tell  them  to  ‘git.’  And  just  see  how 
it  would  work  if  everybody  knew  this 
as  I see  it.  If  you  knew  that  your 
neighbor  knew  that  Emancipation  was 
possible,  you  would  know  at  the  same 
time  that  he  was  no  fool,  and  that, 
knowing  it,  he  had  become  Emanci- 
pated, of  course,  and  there  would  be  a 
trustful  sympathy  established  at  once, 
and  you  would  pull  together  and  never 
apart  after  that.  If  his  fence  accidentally 
encroached  an  inch  on  your  land,  you 
would  be  glad  of  it;  or,  if  your  fence 
had  been  set  on  his  side  of  the  legal 
line,  he  would  not  object;  and  so  it 
would  go  on  between  you,  and  you 
would  be  happy  and  good  neighbors  to 
each  other.  Why,  I would  rather  my 
men  would  have  that  secret  and  day’s 


Emancipa- 
tion Makes 
Good 
Neighbors 


IOO  MENTICULTURE  ; OR,  THE 


“ Looking 
Backward  ” 
from 
Emanci- 
pation 


wages,  than  a million  of  dollars  without 
it  ; and  my  boys,  if  I don’t  leave  them  a 
cent,  I will  leave  them  full  of  this  secret, 
and  won’t  worry  about  their  future  hap- 
piness. I was  much  interested  in  that 
book  you  gave  me  several  years  ago 
called  ‘ Looking  Backward.’  What  the 
author  said  about  co-operation,  and  all 
that,  was  all  right  and  very  beautiful; 
but  I didn’t  take  much  stock  in  it  be- 
cause I had  such  a poor  opinion  of 
human  nature,  that  I didn’t  think  peo- 
ple could  quit  grabbing  and  get  down 
to  brass  tacks  in  a co-operative  way. 
But  if  you  can  spread  the  idea  of  Men- 
tal Emancipation  as  you  have  told  it  to 
me  (and  I don’t  see  what  can  help  its 
spreading  like  wildfire  as  soon  as  it 
gets  out),  the  social  paradise  pictured 
in  ‘ Looking  Backward  ’ will  come  as 
a matter  of  course ; and  I see  it  a-com- 
ing  If  you  take  off  a brake  I can  see 
how  a car  can  run  down  a hill,  but 
with  the  brake  on  I couldn’t  see  how 
you  could  push  it  down. 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  IOI 

“The  more  I think  of  this  thing  the 
bigger  it  gets,  and  it  is  a sure  winner. 
Now  suppose  my  family,  and  the  B. 
family  on  the  corner,  and  the  N.  family 
next  door  had  found  out  the  secret, 
anybody  that  couldn’t  grasp  it  couldn’t 
live  in  the  street,  he  would  feel  so  un- 
comfortable. In  fact,  if  there  were  such 
an  one,  we  could  put  him  down  for  a 
crazy  man  or  an  idiot,  and  treat  him 
with  the  same  consideration  we  treat 
such  weak  people. 

“ Or  suppose  the  men  over  in  the 
shops  were  the  joint  possessors  of  the 
secret;  why,  the  first  thing  you  would 
know  they  would  all  be  at  work  on 
some  co-operative  plan  for  themselves. 
Not  that  any  of  us  have  anything 
against  the  employers  we  work  for,  for 
there  are  no  better  in  the  land;  but  it 
is  the  blamed  stupidity  of  the  system 
that  makes  men  work  hard  for  small 
wages  to  feed  the  flames  of  ruinous 
rivalry.  Look  at  the  brains  locked  up 
in  the  pates  of  lawyers  which  have 


Free- 
Masonry 
of  Eman- 
cipation 


102  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Lawyer’s 

Brains 

Prostituted 


nothing  better  to  do  than  to  mix  things 
up  so  that  they  will  get  the  job  of  un- 
mixing them.  Think  what  would  hap- 
pen if  all  that  education  and  all  that  in- 
genuity were  turned  towards  invention! 
Most  of  the  tangles  they  are  employed 
to  unravel  should  never  have  existed, 
and  would  not  have  existed  in  a com- 
munity where  the  secret  of  Emancipa- 
tion had  been  told.  In  all  of  the  clum- 
siness of  competition,  and  the  expense 
of  pullback  methods,  labor,  the  source 
of  all  we  have,  pays  the  whole  freight 
in  one  way  or  another;  and  the  reason 
it  does  so  is  because  of  the  little  par- 
asite devils  that  are  sawing  wood  and 
hatching  eggs  in  the  minds  of  each 
individual  worker  and  producer.  With 
these  little  devils  at  work  in  him  he  is 
suspicious,  selfish,  jealous,  and  what 
not  else,  because  he  thinks  his  neighbor 
and  fellow  workman  are  similarly  pos- 
sessed, and  he  must  be  so  too  to  get 
along.  Under  this  condition  cohesion 
is  impossible,  and  schemers  prey  upon 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  103 


the  separateness  of  the  producing  com- 
munity to  rob  it  of  as  much  of  the 
product  of  its  labor  as  possible.  Suppose 
that  the  secret  of  possible  Emancipa- 
tion should  become  general  (and  for 
the  life  of  me  I cannot  see  how  it  can 
fail  to  do  so),  there  would  be  confidence, 
trustfulness,  cohesion,  ambition  to  be 
useful,  and  the  energy  of  the  healthy 
child  for  play-work  would  return  to  the 
rejuvenated  man,  and  he  would  play 
work  under  those  conditions  and  not 
feel  that  it  was  a mark  of  servitude 
and  necessity,  and  the  land  would  sing 
with  the  sound  of  willing  industry.” 
My  friend  had  become  eloquent  under 
the  inspiration  of  the  possible  estab- 
lishment of  a Heaven  on  earth  to  which 
he  could  invite  his  friends.  Do  not 
think  that  this  is  not  a true  report  of 
a conversation  in  real  life.  My  friend 
is  a real  character;  is  well  read  and 
educated  by  observation  and  exper- 
ience, and  could  succeed  in  almost 
any  position  in  life  except  in  such  as 


Emancipa 

tion 

Prevents 

Robbery 


104  MENTICULTURE  ; OR,  THE 


Emancipa- 

tion 

Breeds 

Eloquence 


did  not  give  “value  received”  for  the 
service  rendered.  He  is  one  of  those 
“Noblemen  by  Nature”  to  whom  the 
world  owes  so  much,  but  pays  so  little; 
but  he  is  happy  in  doing  good,  and  the 
field  he  works  in  is  one  of  the  richest 
for  that  harvest,  and  the  compensation 
he  prizes  most  highly,  is  the  happiness 
he  is  able  to  give  others.  He  had 
the  secret  of  True  Living  forced  on 
him,  in  spite  of  the  example  of  the 
world,  without  knowing  the  true  cause 
or  value  of  his  good  fortune;  but  his 
happiness  was  increased  many  fold 
when  he  learned  that  it  was  his  birth- 
right; was  a possession  of  which  no 
one  could  rob  him;  and  would  re- 
main his  as  long  as  he  lived.  And  as 
he  has  faith  in  the  Eternal  Evolution  of 
everything,  he  feels  that,  freed  from  the 
depressing  passions,  there  will  be  no 
end  to  his  growth;  that,  at  the  so-called 
middle  age  of  human  tenure,  he  is  but  in 
the  beginning  of  life;  or,  if  not  that, 
that  each  day  is  a wealth  of  joy  unto 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  105 

itself  in  spite  of  any  external  conditions;  TT 

1 ^ Heaven  is 

for  he  has  found  that  “the  kingdom  of  at 

Heaven  is  at  hand”  and  that  a branch 

of  it  has  been  established  in  his  own 

heart. 

All  men  are  not  constituted  alike. 

In  the  economy  of  Nature  it  is  her  pur- 
pose that  no  two  things  are  made  alike. 

In  a million  years  a million  men  could 
not  count  the  spears  of  grass  in  the 
fields,  or  the  hairs  of  the  heads  of  men; 
yet  no  patient  investigator  has  been 
able  to  find  any  two  of  them  that  did  not 
differ  from  every  other  one  when  put 
under  the  lens  of  the  microscope  One  — 
-—thousand  millions  of  humans  inhabit 
this  earth.  Each  has  essentially  the 
same  form,  the  same  two  eyes,  the 
same  mouth,  the  same  ears  and  hands 
and  arms;  and  yet  even  in  the  case  of 
twins,  where  the  nearest  approach  to 
similarity  comes,  the  mother  never  can 
mistake  the  one  for  the  other.  If 
you  are  unlike  others,  it  is  because  na- 
ture chose  to  cast  you  in  a different 


106  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


and  Cor- 
ner-stones 


mould  to  serve  some  wise  purpose;  and 
Key-stones  with  that  form> 

comes  the  God-given 
essence  of  the  Divine,  whose  presence 
and  growth  are  evidenced  by  an  innate 
yearning  for  spirituality.  Much  spir- 
ituality lifts  a man  above  his  less 
spiritual  fellows  and  makes  of  him  a 
cornerstone,  or  a keystone,  or  some 
other  important  segment  of  the  so- 
cial structure;  and  lack  of  it  con- 
demns him  to  be  a bit  of  rubble, 
^>r  an  atom  of  filling.  The  corner- 
stones and  the  keystones  help  and 
support  each  other  in  the  stately  arch, 
while  the  rubble  and  the  atoms  fall 
apart  and  become  dirt,  when  allowed 
to  find  their  level.  Which  shall  we 
choose  to  become:  the  keystone  of  the 
arch,  or  some  of  the  dirt  of  the  earth 
beneath  it?  Which  shall  we  choose: 
happiness,  health,  growth,  usefulness, 
rest,  and  a fitting  relationship  to  the 
Divine,  or  the  reverse?  Each  is  what 
God  made  him  plus  what  he  can  attain 
by  growth.  Through  eradication  of 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  107 


the  cankerous  passions;  through  the 
extirpation  of  the  mental  weeds;  the 
«-dwarf  may  grow  to  be  greater  than  the 
king;  and  all  can  freely  and  fully  enjoy 
life  and  growth,  when  they  have  learned 
the  A-B-C  of  True  Living.  The 
grammar,  and  the  rhetoric,  and  the 
poetry,  and  perhaps  a higher  intelli- 
gence than  we  know  of  now  may  fol- 
low, and  are  sure  to  follow;  but  they 
will  be  but  brighter  phases  of  hap- 
piness already  attained. 


Cripple  can 
be  greater 
than  a king 


A CHURCHWOMAN 

In  searching  for  corroborative  evi- 
dence of  the  possibility  of  Emancipa- 
tion, I was  fortunate  in  meeting  a lady 
whose  acquaintance  with  the  several  re- 
ligions and  metaphysics  is  exceptional ; 
and  whose  clear  intelligence  regarding 
the  value  of  menticulture,  makes  her  a 
rare  critic  in  questions  of  this  kind. 
From  her  I received  the  most  valued  en- 
couragement. She  is  a devout  church- 
woman,  but  has  studied  along  the  sev- 


108  MENTICULTURE  ; OR,  THE 


A Devout 

Church- 

woman 


eral  lines  of  psychology  in  search  of 
additional  light  and  strength.  She 
had  read  my  simple  presentation  of 
the  theory  of  germ  cure,  and  found  in 
it  a ray  of  hope,  the  effect  of  which 
she  described  as  follows:  “The  sensa- 

tion that  was  produced  in  me  by  the 
suggestion,  I cannot  describe.  It  was 
as  if  a great  flood  of  light  had  burst 
upon  me,  and  I saw  the  possibility  of 
an  immediate  realization  of  my  spiritual 
ideal;  and  I have  prayed  to  God  con- 
stantly, that  it  may  not  leave  me. 
There  have  been  unusual  occasions  for 
worry  and  annoyance  since  then.  I 
have  just  moved  to  a new  city ; into  a 
new  house;  and  my  husband  and  I are 
beginning  life  anew  in  an  untried  field. 
All  of  my  past  associations  are  broken 
up,  and  new  sympathies  among  stran- 
gers are  to  be  formed.  My  husband’s 
health  has  been  poor,  and  mine  has 
been  wretched,  so  that  we  have  been 
compelled  to  seek  climates  more  favor- 
able, at  the  expense  of  financial  con- 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  109 


siderations;  yet,  the  cloud  that  hung 
over  our  prospects  has  been  miracu- 
lously dispelled,  and  my  days  and 
nights  are  soothed  with  a calm  con- 
tentment and  happiness  which  I have 
never  known  before.  My  religion 
seems  more  precious  to  me  than  ever. 
It  seems  as  if  one  simple  little  ingre- 
dient that  it  lacked  has  been  found ; 
and  that  now  it  is  perfect.  I have 
always  been  possessed  of  a desire  to 
accomplish  one  act  in  life  which  should 
be  conspicuous  for  its  usefulness  to 
some  one ; and  if  I can  ever  succeed 
in  giving  to  one  person  the  light  and 
comfort  that  this  revelation  has  given 
to  me,  I shall  feel  that  my  ambition 
has  been  attained.” 

Her  discovery  of  a simple  little  in- 
gredient, in  the  theory  of  germ  cure, 
led  to  a new  appreciation  of  the  idea 
of  simplicity  in  connection  with  it, 
which  has  been  amplified  in  the  suc- 
ceeding chapter. 


Simple 
Little  In- 
gredient 


FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OVER- 
LOOKED 


FIRST  PRINCIPLES  OVERLOOKED 


Simplicity  and  harmony  are  the 
ultimate  conditions  to  be  attained  in 
all  things.  In  literature,  and  in  music, 
and  in  oratory,  and  in  painting,  and  in 
mechanics,  and  in  life,  simplicity  is  at 
once  the  greatest  charm,  and  the  best 
evidence  of  merit.  In  mechanics,  a 
simple  little  device  usually  perfects  the 
great  labor-saving  machine.  In  chem- 
istry, a simple  little  ingredient  may  give 
culminating  power  to  a world-building 
or  a world-destroying  compound.  In 
oratory,  a simple  and  impassioned  appeal 
is  most  potent  to  move  the  multitude 
to  action ; and  in  menticulture,  the 
simple  and  direct  application  of  the  germ 
cure,  may  be  able  to  effect  a millennium 
in  social  evolution  within  a generation. 
Stranger  things  have  happened ! Be- 
cause it  has  not  happened,  is  no  reason 


Simplicity 
and  Har- 
mony are 
Ultimate 


1 14  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Germ  Cure 
not  Under- 
stood 


why  it  should  not  happen.  In  fact, 
there  are  logical  reasons  why  the  habit 
of  repression  should  have  smothered 
any  idea  of  germ  cure,  till  Science 
placed  an  analogy  in  physics  before 
our  eyes ; especially  because  the  false 
hypothesis  of  original  (or  natural)  sin, 
has  been  persistently  advanced  as  a 
law  of  our  being. 

Christ  taught  the  germ  cure,  and 
hinted  at  no  other  as  an  alternative. 
In  the  sermon  on  the  mount;  in  his 
talks  by  the  Sea  of  Galilee ; and  in 
his  rebuke  of  the  devil  in  the  desert, 
there  was  no  note  of  indecision  sug- 
gested. Do  and  be  and  get  were  unmis- 
takable commands.  But  these  com- 
mands were  given  in  a gentle  manner, 
to  half-doubting  disciples,  and  faintly 
echoed  by  them  to  an  incredulous 
world,  that  had  not  learned  the  power 
of  mind  over  matter,  or  over  itself ; 
and  hence  the  world  waited  for  Science 
to  prove  even  greater  possibilities, 
before  giving  heed  to  the  simple  com- 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  115 


mands  of  the  Great  Teacher  in  the 
manner  he  commanded. 

One  of  the  great  weaknesses  of  the 
age  in  which  we  live  is  the  ignoring  of 
first  principles,  and  a reaching  out  for 
the  remote  or  unattainable.  In  the 
matter  of  home  responsibilities,  and 
in  menticulture,  this  is  most  apparent. 
The  order  of  responsibility  is — the 
mind,  — the  body  — the  mind  of  the 
child — the  body  or  health  of  the  child — 
and  so  on  in  the  sequence  of  relation- 
ship in  the  family,  in  the  community, 
in  the  nation,  and  in  the  world ; not 
with  selfish  discrimination  against  the 
more  remote,  but  with  zealous  care  of 
the  nearer  relationships.  This  order, 
however,  is  rarely  observed.  We  weed 
the  garden,  but  do  not  weed  the  mind. 
We  pass  laws  to  punish  any  who  strike, 
or  rob,  or  corrupt  a citizen,  but  there 
is  no  law  to  protect  the  abused  or  neg- 
lected children  of  drunken  or  incom- 
petent parents,  except  in  extreme 
cases.  Breeders  of  fine  animals  take 


Order  of 
Responsi- 
bility 


1 1 6 MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Laissez 

Faire 

Super- 

seded 


the  greatest  pains  to  guard  all  the  con- 
ditions surrounding  their  stock,  and  at 
the  same  time  encourage  family  alli- 
ance with  consumptive  plutocrats. 

The  antiquated  and  primitive  doc- 
trine of  laissez  faire , has  been  replaced 
by  those  of  Division  of  Labor,  and  of 
Protection,  in  the  cases  of  the  strong 
who  have  demanded  them,  or  who 
have  purchased  them  through  leg- 
islative cupidity ; but  still  obtains  in 
the  cases  of  the  weak  and  non-as- 
sertive. 

The  truant  subjects  of  great  nations, 
scattered  in  foreign  lands,  are  hedged 
about  with  protection  equal  to  an  im- 
perial guard ; and  thousands  of  men 
and  millions  of  money  are  sacrificed  to 
revenge  an  insult  to,  or  protect  the 
property  of  a claimant  citizen  at  the 
Antipodes ; while  hundreds  and  thou- 
sands of  the  producers  at  home  are 
starving  and  dying,  because  of  the 
maladministration  of  the  first  princi- 
ples of  economies,  and  the  laissez  faire 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  1 1 7 

license  given  to  selfish  and  unscrupu- 
lous competition. 

Arrogant  commerce,  and  the  al- 
ready-powerful,  have  no  end  of  pro- 
tection; but  the  mind,  the  health,  the 
child,  and  the  producer,  are  left  to 
the  tender  mercy  of  chance,  or  are 
hampered  by  crushing  conditions  of 
abuse  and  neglect  contrary  to  every 
law  of  growth  ; and  thus  it  must  be ; 
until  we  adopt  the  germ  cure,  as  a 
principle  of  menticulture,  and  Eman- 
cipation, as  the  first  evidence  of  intelli- 
gence and  respectability. 

In  self-administration,  the  far-away 
habit  is  quite  as  prevalent  as  in  the 
administration  of  Society.  Men  and 
women  slave  and  save,  to  furnish 
means  for  sending  missionaries  to 
India,  to  release  the  Indian  mind  of 
imagined  evils,  while  they  crawl  about 
servile  to  anger  or  worry,  or  both 
anger  and  worry.  They  set  their 
ideal  of  happiness  at  an  indefinite 
height,  always  out  of  reach.  They 


Strength 

Protected 

Weakness 

Unpro- 

tected 


1 1 8 MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Wasting 

Precious 

Time 


hide  their  Heaven  behind  the  curtain 
of  death,  and  refuse  to  look  for  it 
within  the  precincts  of  their  own  heart. 
They  waste  precious  time  in  speculat- 
ing as  to  the  form  and  attributes  of 
the  Cause  of  all  things,  its  residence 
and  disposition,  while  they  smother 
under  the  pall  of  inappreciation,  the 
best  evidence  of  its  existence,  and  the 
most  potent  workings  of  its  power, 
within  themselves.  And  all  this  be- 
cause they  work  from  the  wrong  end, 
and  are  dull  to  the  efficacy  of  growth 
from  the  basis  of  Emancipation. 

Their  method  of  life  is  like  the  un- 
raveling of  a snarled  skein  from  the 
middle.  They  fumble  futilely  at  the 
snarl,  and  accomplish  little,  if  any- 
thing, when  they  ought  first  to  release 
the  end  within  themselves,  and  follow 
the  cord  from  that  beginning,  along 
the  line  of  growth  and  organization, 
to  the  condition  of  unrestricted  free- 
dom, and  usefulness,  — the  condition 
of  Emancipated  Brotherhood. 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  I IQ 

Religions  are  founded,  fraternal 
societies  are  formed,  armies  are  mar- 
shalled, and  nations  are  grown  about 
a sympathetic  idea,  to  which  the  ma- 
jority subscribe.  The  aim  is  always 
the  same : growth,  protection,  har- 

mony, happiness,  Heaven.  But  the 
growth  is  slow,  the  protection  is  only 
partial,  the  harmony  is  incomplete, 
perfect  happiness  is  impossible,  and 
Heaven  is  indefinite  and  remote ; 
because  their  organization  tolerates 
selfishness  as  a necessary  “ mark  of 
Cain,”  instead  of  being  built  on  the 
foundation  of  Emancipation. 

All  true  calculation  must  recognize 
a unit  of  value ; in  menticulture  the 
only  true  unit  is  Emancipation. 

In  harmony,  instruments  cannot  be 
tuned  from  several  standards ; there 
must  be  one  key-note;  and  harmony  in 
menticulture  can  only  come  from  the 
key-note — Emancipation. 


Nations 
Founded 
About  an 
Idea 


SLAVES  OR  FREEMEN-WHICH? 


SLAVES  OR  FREEMEN 


Within  the  memory  of  many  now 
living,  Society  was  dominated  by  the 
belief  that  human  body-slavery  was  a 
Divine  institution. 

Thirty-five  years  ago  a great  war 
was  waged  against  the  institution  in 
this  country,  at  the  expense  of  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  lives,  and  thou- 
sands of  millions  of  dollars  worth  of 
property. 

That  war  resulted  not  only  in  kill- 
ing the  institution  itself,  but  also  in  the 
extirpation  of  the  idea  of  its  Divine 
origin. 

It  is  no  longer  a question  of  debate 
in  any  part  of  the  civilized  word,  but 
an  established  international  under- 
standing, that  slavery  is  not  only 
unjust  to  the  enslaved,  but  an  evil,  the 
effects  of  which  are  shared  by  the 
master. 


Body- 

Slavery 

Overcome 


123 


124  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Mercenary 
Fashion  a 
Cruel 
Master 


Negro  slavery  in  America  was,  how- 
ever, a mild  and  beneficent  institution, 
as  compared  to  the  voluntary  servitude 
to  Mercenary  Fashion,  which  enthrals 
so  many  at  the  present  time.  Merce- 
nary Fashion  places  burdens  on  rich 
and  poor  alike,  and  costs  Society  more 
lives  and  property  yearly,  than  all  that 
was  wasted  during  the  war  of  the  Re- 
bellion. 

Most  of  the  masters  of  the  negro 
were  kindly  and  considerate,  and  not 
a few  of  the  negro  uncles  and  aunties 
now  living,  regret  the  “good  old  times 
when  marster  and  missus  did  all  the 
plannin’  and  pervidin’,  and  all  we  uns 
had  to  do  was  work,  and  sing  and 
dance.” 

On  the  other  hand,  Mercenary 
Fashion  has  headquarters  in  Paris, 
in  London,  in  Vienna,  and  in  Berlin; 
and  sets  its  traps  all  over  the  world, 
baited  with  styles  of  such  absurd 
taste  and  uselessness  that  interest  in 
them  can  only  be  brief.  It  is  part  of 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  125 


its  deliberate  policy,  not  to  suggest 
any  form  or  style  that  has  merit  suffi- 
cient to  make  it  desirable  a second 
season.  It  avoids  any  approach  to  the 
simple  and  beautiful  and  comfortable 
drapery  used  by  the  ancient  Greeks, 
because  of  fear  that  its  trade  will  be 
ruined  by  the  stability  of  the  wares. 
Ostentation  is  the  ever-ready  victim 
to  take  the  poisonous  bait;  and  then, 
there  is  a mad  rush  of  the  mimicking 
slaves,  to  assume  the  fetters  which 
bind  them  to  constant  toil.  Dishonor, 
infamy,  and  shame,  are  braved  by  men 
and  women  alike,  in  following  the 
allurements  of  Mercenary  Fashion. 

Fear  (of  criticism)  and  Envy  are 
the  two  phases  of  the  root  passions, 
that  are  the  most  powerful  and  active 
agents  in  securing  victims  for  Merce- 
nary Fashion;  but,  if  Emancipation 
were  the  established  rule  of  life, 
these  agents  would  not  exist;  Osten- 
tation would  not  be  followed;  and 
Taste,  and  Usefulness,  and  Perma- 


Ostenta- 
tion  Pan- 
ders to 
Fashion 


126  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Bicycle 

Brings 

Freedom 


nence,  would  be  the  leaders  instead; 
and  a state  of  cooperation  which  might 
properly  be  named  Good  Fashion,  or 
God  Fashion,  would  succeed  the 
tyrant  of  the  present;  and  Fashion, 
under  such  conditions,  would  be  a bles- 
sing instead  of  a curse  as  at  present. 

Mercenary  Fashion  has  met  with  a 
formidable  adversary  in  the  bicycle. 
The  absurd  costumes  inflicted  by  it  on 
a servile  world,  seem  as  ridiculous 
when  mounted  on  a bicycle,  as  if 
they  were  placed  on  the  David  of 
Michael  Angelo,  or  on  the  Venus  de 
Milo.  Bicycle  costumes  for  women 
may  not  displace  all  others;  but,  with 
the  freedom  of  movement  enjoyed  on 
the  wheel,  in  a costume  suitable  to 
the  unhampered  action  of  a biped; 
with  the  constant  restraint  of  position 
rendered  necessary  by  the  wearing  of 
skirts  removed,  woman  may  soon  be- 
come free  to  move  and  act  as  Nature 
designed  that  she  should  move  and  act, 
and  enjoyment  of  this  new  freedom 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  1 27 

will  greatly  modify  her  slavery  to  Mer- 
cenary Fashion. 

Fashion  (or  mimicry)  is  good,  if 
properly  led. 

If  it  were  fashionable  to  believe 
that  anger  and  worry  were  unnecessary 
weeds  of  the  mind,  were  blemishes 
that  could  be  removed  from  the  dispo- 
sition, were  habits  that  were  unbecom- 
ing to  civilized  man,  and  were  handi- 
caps to  energy  and  happiness  that 
could  be  put  aside  at  will,  the  world 
could  follow  that  fashion  to  a state  of 
Emancipation,  with  all  the  enthusiasm 
it  could  muster,  and  benefit  itself  by 
being  fashionable. 

And,  should  a just  appreciation  of 
the  power  within  us  become  fashion- 
able, the  tendency  to  mimicry;  which  is 
now  the  connecting  link  of  resemblance 
between  us  and  the  monkey  from 
which  we  have  evolved,  would  become 
an  element  of  strength,  instead  of  an 
element  of  weakness. 

We,  as  individuals,  support  the 


Make 

Freedom 

Fashion- 

able 


128  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Plows  with 
a Stick 


fashions,  but  we  do  not  suggest  them. 
We  support  waste  and  discomfort,  for 
the  benefit  of  mercenary  and  designing 
fashion-makers,  with  the  product  of 
never-ending  toil,  because  we  ape 
Ostentation,  cringe  before  Fear,  and 
encourage  Envy  as  an  attribute  of 
Pride. 

We  are  slaves  indeed!  not  only  in 
the  matter  of  clothes,  but  in  the  matter 
of  the  distribution  of  the  necessities 
and  luxuries  of  life  and  comfort.  We 
do  some  things  more  cleverly  than  the 
rest  of  the  world,  but  in  others  we 
excel  in  clumsiness  and  inconsistency. 
In  Mexico  (our  nearest  neighbor),  a 
sharpened  stick  is  still  used  for  plow- 
ing; but,  that  is  not  nearly  as  crude,  of 
its  kind,  as  some  of  the  business 
methods  that  we  support  in  this  coun- 
try are  of  their  kind;  and  in  matters 
of  utmost  importance,  too.  For  in- 
stance: in  the  city  of  Montgomery,  Ala- 
bama, there  is  a square,  or  rather  a 
diamond,  around  which,  and  within  a 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  129 

block  of  which,  there  are  eight  or  nine 
drug  stores.  This  may  not  be  an 
unusual  bunching  of  druggists,  but,  as 
Montgomery  is  a meeting  point  of 
several  terminal  railroads,  and  trains 
from  all  directions  are  usually  detained 
there  one  or  two  hours,  I have  had 
abundant  opportunity  to  study  this 
constellation  of  red  and  green  lights, 
that  blink  and  stare  at  all  who  visit 
the  park  they  look  on.  They  all  seem 
to  be  full  fledged,  and  fully  equipped 
drug  stores,  and  not  devoted  to  special- 
ties, as  one  would  suppose  as  a reason 
for  there  being  so  many  of  them. 

As  it  is,  there  are  eight  stores,  eight 
stocks  of  goods,  eight  sets  of  clerks, 
eight  insurance  policies,  eight  compu- 
tations of  interest,  eight  gas  or  electric 
light  bills,  and  probably  eight  many- 
other  items  of  expense  chargeable  to 
the  profits  on  the  sales,  and  supported 
by  the  public,  when  one  establishment 
would  serve  all  the  people  of  Mont- 
gomery better  than  the  eight  do  now. 


Druggists 

Convention 


130  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Mont- 

gomery, 

Alabama 


If  these  stores  were  scattered  about 
the  city,  the  matter  of  convenience 
could  be  urged  for  their  existence.  To 
support  such  prodigality,  profits  rang- 
ing from  one  hundred  to  one  thousand 
per  cent . have  to  be  charged,  and  the 
public  evidently  pays  them,  for  their 
existence  from  year  to  year  is  evidence 
of  support  from  some  one.  Suppose 
the  Corporation  of  the  City  of  Mont- 
gomery were  to  vote  an  appropriation 
of  fifty  thousand  (or  perhaps  only 
twenty  thousand)  dollars,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  establishing  a first-class  dispen- 
sary of  medicines,  etc.,  and  should  put 
it  in  charge  of  a competent  chemist, 
who  would  know  what  medicines  were 
good,  and  what  compounds  were  not 
good?  The  patronage  of  the  citizens 
would  support  such  an  establishment 
on  a ten  per  cent,  basis  of  profit,  and 
pay  ten  per  cent,  interest  on  the  invest- 
ment without  doubt,  and  the  citizens 
would  not  be  at  the  mercy  of  chance 
or  imposition,  in  a matter  of  prime 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  1 3 1 

importance  to  health,  as  they  are  liable  gjavery  to 
to  be,  under  any  but  the  most  perfect  waste 
system  of  selecting  and  dispensing 
drugs  and  patent  medicines. 

This  is  a single  instance  among  thou- 
sands, of  the  unintelligent  application 
of  the  doctrine  of  laissez  faire  to 
matters  of  vital  social  interest;  and  is 
given  here  to  illustrate  a form  of  slav- 
ery to  inconvenience  and  waste,  that 
would  be  cleared  away  like  mist  before 
the  sun,  as  the  result  of  evolution, 
from  the  standpoint  of  Emancipation. 

It  required  a million  guns,  and  the 
assistance  of  several  million  men, 
with  all  the  waste  and  blood  which 
war  carries  with  it,  to  free  the  negro; 
and  the  advance  of  humanity  the 
world  over,  was  a fruit,  worth  the  cost 
of  the  war;  but  slavery  of  the  individ- 
ual to  the  parasite  passions,  will  not 
enlist  the  rescue  of  arms,  although 
it  entails  greater  hardship  than  was 
ever  suffered  by  the  average  negro 
slave.  Each  individual  must  gain  for 


132  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


The 

Martyr 


himself  this  freedom ; no  one  else  can 
aid  him  except  through  suggestion 
and  moral  help.  It  is  his  birthright 
however,  and  awaits  his  call. 

The  face  of  the  martyr  glowed 
with  radiant  happiness,  when  he  ex- 
claimed to  his  jailers  from  the  con- 
fines of  his  chains,  “You  have  bound 
my  body,  but  you  cannot  bind  my  soul! 
Kill  my  body  if  you  like ! it  will  only 
give  greater  freedom  to  my  soul.”  But 
the  so-called  free  citizen  of  to-day; 
who  smothers  himself  under  the  blan- 
ket of  worry;  or,  who  spits  angry  in- 
justice at  a self-created-phantom-cause 
for  resentment,  is  a weak  and  pitiable 
wretch,  as  compared  with  the  bonden 
martyr  or  negro  of  long  ago. 

Emancipation,  or,  a perfectly  de-an- 
gered  and  de-worryized  mind,  can  only 
be  secured  through  conviction  of  its 
possibility,  and  not  simply  through  an 
intellectual  admission  of  its  possibility. 
Faith  is  the  pre-requisite  of  every  suc- 
cessful accomplishment  in  life.  An 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  1 33 


axiom  of  the  circus  ring  warns  an 
acrobat,  or  a gymnast,  never  to 
attempt  a feat,  unless  he  has  perfect 
confidence  in  his  ability  to  perform  it 
successfully.  Knowledge  and  the  ap- 
preciation of  the  power  of  the  mind 
over  phantoms  of  its  own  creation, 
and  confidence  to  expel  them,  is  as 
necessary  in  menticulture  as  is  the  con- 
fidence of  the  gymnast  in  performing 
wonderful  feats  of  menti-physical  skill. 
The  condition  required  for  growth  to 
Emancipation,  is  that  of  perfect  faith 
and  confidence,  born  of  knowledge 
of  the  power  God  has  given  us  to 
“cast  out  evil,”  and  in  that  condition, 
Emancipation,  when  attained,  can  be 
anchored  safely,  protected  from  any 
of  the  battling  and  surging  elements 
of  discord  from  without. 

The  researches  of  many  scientific 
societies  along  the  lines  of  Psychic 
Phenomena,  endorsed  by  every  utter- 
ance of  Christ,  reveal  the  fact  that 
faith  is  a pre-requisite  to  subjection,  or 


Axiom  of 
the  Circus 


134  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


..  , control,  of  the  mind.  The  best  sub- 

rsychic 

Researches  jects  *n  scientific  hypnotism  are  the 
strongest  minded  (who  believe  through 
knowledge),  and  the  weakest  minded 
(who  believe  through  credulity);  while 
the  creatures  of  vacillating  impulses, 
are  hopeless  dolts  in  the  hands  of  the 
hypnotist,  and  will  be  those  who  will 
have  to  acquire  Mental  Emancipation 
because  it  is  fashionable,  and  not  be- 
cause it  is  sensible. 

The  condition  of  Emancipation  is 
one  of  faith  in  the  beginning;  but,  as 
soon  as  it  is  attained,  there  is  no  desire 
to  replant  mental  weeds,  and  no  strug- 
gle to  repress  them,  for  there  are  no 
roots  or  seeds  from  which  to  grow  them. 

Faith  must  precede,  but  examples 
of  Emancipation  are  sure  to  develop 
in  every  community,  and  soon  the  at- 
mosphere will  be  pregnant  with  the 
possibility  of  it.  Then  it  will  be  easy 
to  follow  the  fashion  and  dismiss  anger 
and  worry;  and,  after  a little,  shame 
will  attach  to  the  possession  of  them. 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  1 35 


Growth  and  happiness  will  result  from 
the  elimination  of  the  germs  of  strife; 
natural  cooperation  will  follow  natural 
growth;  and  we  will  catch  up  with  Mr. 
Bellamy’s  prophecy,  long  before  the 
time  specified  in  “Looking  Backward,’’ 
by  the  simple  unraveling  of  a silken 
skein  of  endless  possibilities  from  the 
free  end  within  ourselves. 

Fear  that  individuality  will  be  lost 
in  cooperation,  is  one  of  the  hot-shot 
missiles  of  mendacity,  that  is  being 
fired  at  Cooperation  from  the  citadel 
of  the  condemned  passions,  by  the 
slaves  of  the  tottering  house  of  Can  t, 
but  will  fall,  harmless,  before  the 
armor  of  Emancipation. 

Does  it  lessen  the  individuality  of 
the  gardener  to  weed  his  soil?  Does  it 
weaken  the  individuality  of  a patient  to 
cut  out  the  root  of  his  cancer?  Does 
it  militate  against  the  power  of  a cause, 
to  rid  it  of  its  faults?  Will  the  runner 
run  less  swiftly,  or  the  jumper  jump 
less  far,  if  they  remove  the  handicap? 


Tottering 
House  of 
Can’t 


. ..  -il  ■ :d£  :■  : . .....  ...  ti  .... 


ORGANIZATION 


ORGANIZATION 


While  Emancipation  in  the  individ-  Qrgani- 
ual  is  worth  more  than  all  the  wealth  zat;on 
of  the  world  to  him  without  it,  organ-  Desirable 
ization  about  the  idea  is  desirable  for 
the  purpose  of  aiding  others ; and, 

(through  cooperation  and  the  most 
perfect  economics)  lightening  the  bur- 
den of  compulsory  labor,  in  order  that 
there  shall  be  more  time  to  devote  to 
recreation  and  recreative  labor. 

Organization  on  the  basis  of  Eman- 
cipation is  sure  to  be  the  next  great 
movement  of  reform  and  growth,  in 
the  light  of  whose  strength,  the  puny 
efforts  of  the  past  will  seem  like  the 
light  of  a tallow  dip  beside  an  electric 
cluster. 

This  will  come ; not  because  I have 
discovered  it  for  myself  and  am  pub- 
lishing an  account  of  the  discovery  to 
139 


140  MENTICULTURE;  OR,  THE 


Adds 

Every- 

thing 

Takes 

Nothing 


my  friends,  but  because  the  world  has 
learned  something  of  the  powers  at  its 
command ; has  learned  the  possibility 
of  germ  cure  in  physics  ; has  learned 
the  efficacy  of  mental  therapeutics  in 
matters  of  both  mind  and  body;  and 
is  ripe  for  it.  When  I tell  my  friends 
my  experience  and  deductions,  they 
are  prepared  at  once  to  accept  them 
with  credence.  And  so  it  will  be  with 
them  and  their  friends,  for  logic  and 
self  interest  are  merits  to  commend 
it  to  all  intelligent  persons ; and, 
in  the  immediate  future,  it  is  not 
unreasonable  to  hope  that  Emanci- 
pation, as  a basic  condition  favorable 
to  growth  and  Brotherhood,  may  not 
be  an  uncommon  accomplishment  and 
requirement.  I believe  that  it  is  one 
of  the  first  steps  urged  in  Christian 
Science  and  rendered  possible  by  the 
belief,  as  it  is  in  the  Buddhist  Disci- 
pline and  Christian  formula,  and  in 
the  circle  of  my  acquaintance  there 
are  already  many  believers  in  the 


A-B-C  OF  TRUE  LIVING  14I 

possibility  of  Emancipation,  who  are 
enjoying  its  benefits;  who  find  that  it 
is  the  one  little  ingredient  necessary  to 
perfect  their  established  beliefs,  and 
strengthen  their  present  affiliations ; 
and  to  whom  it  adds  everything  and 
from  whom  takes  nothing. 

All  the  members  of  religious  sects; 
all  the  members  of  fraternal  socie- 
ties, as  well  as  many  of  the  disconnected 
seekers  after  intellectual  and  spiritual 
growth,  should  be  eager  to  enroll 
themselves  under  the  banner  of  Eman- 
cipation ; and  if  this  should  happen, 
the  wished  for  Utopia  of  the  most  fer- 
tile imagination,  would  not  be  as  re- 
mote as  it  has  seemed  to  be  in  the  past. 


No  End  to 
Growth 


HOPE 


HOPE 


When  one  has  attained  the  condi- 
tion of  Emancipation,  let  him  be  sure 
that  it  is  only  the  elementary  stage  of 
growth,  the  happy  childhood  of  true 
life  (no  matter  what  the  physical  age 
of  the  body ),  and  that  there  is  a possi- 
bility of  development  to  a point  of  un- 
selfishness, whence  one  can  view  one’s 
own  individuality  from  without,  and 
direct  its  action  from  an  impersonal 
standpoint.  Then  each  of  us  can  will 
himself  to  act  as  he  would  like  to  have 
a beloved  friend  or  relative  act  in  any 
given  situation. 

I believe  that  this  is  true,  and  en- 
tirely possible  to  the  emancipated 
mind;  but,  as  I have  aimed  to  present 
only  a personal  discovery  and  experi- 
ence, I will  leave  a deeper  consideration 
of  the  subject  to  the  test  of  a longer 
acquaintance  with  the  new-found  life. 
145 


PRINTED  BY  R.  R.  DONNELLEY 
AND  SONS  COMPANY,  AT  THE 
LAKESIDE  PRESS, CHICAGO.ILL 
MDCCCXCV 


Date  Due 

/*)■»  37 

& 

NOV  1 3 ’FI 

L.  B.  Cat.  No.  1137 

/ 


110  F612/VJ 

p 

FI  


25209 


Fenti  cult  are  or_Jbiis_ 


j no 


F612M 

P 


25209 


